Fish Puttu

This is one dish which i started making after coming to US. One of my friend Priya akka gave timely advice to make this puttu out of Salmon fish. I tried salmon fish curry, but i din't like it that much. So next time tried this dish taking Priya akka's advice. Taste delicious. Now i make this dish whenever i have salmon fish. This goes well with any main dishes like chapathi, roti, rice and rasam.

Can make this dish with fishes like tuna, King fish, Whitening, cod fish etc...

You will need:

• ½ kg fish(1 lb)
• 2 big onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 5 green chillies
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder(optional)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp pepper powder
  
• salt for taste
• curry leaves
• chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves for garnish

Step 1:

Cut the fish roughly(big chunks) and boil it in the water with salt, turmeric, and pepper for 10 mins in medium flame .

Step 2:

In the mean time heat non stick pan and add oil to it. Then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves one after another. Then add onion, green chillies, garlic and saute it till it become golden brown colour.

Step 3:

In the mean time just shred the cooked fish using hands or using knife.

Step 4:

Now add tomatoes and saute it for 2 mins. You can substitute with tomato puree also. Then add chili powder, coriander powder and saute it for a min. Add the shredded cooked fish to this and saute it for few more mins till you get your desired consistency. Check for salt since the cooked fish already has salt in it.


Step 5:

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot rice and rasam. Can add grated coconut also for garnishing

Mango Dal

You will need:

• 1 cup moong dal/ bengal gram dal/ toor dal (can add combination of 2 dals also)
• 1 onion (chopped)or 10 pearl onions
• 1 green mango (chopped into bite size pieces)
• 5 garlic cloves
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• salt for taste
  

For tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 red chillies
• few curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil/ ghee
  

Step 1:

Pressure cook the dal along with chopped mango, cumin seeds, garlic, chilli powder, salt and onion till its over cooked.


I used new brand of dal this time and it needs more time to cook. Did that mistake so you can find some whole cooked dals in the pics..

I added frozen mango's. About a cup of chopped mangoes is fine.

Step 2:

When its cooled open the cooker and check for the consistency. If you want to add more water add water or coconut milk. Check for salt.

Step 3:

Now for tempering, take a small pan add oil to it. When its hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add red chillies, curry leaves and saute it for just few seconds till you get very good aroma. Then add this tempering to the cooked mango dal and serve it with hot rice, appalam/pappadam and pickle. Enjoy!!!!!!

Lychee Muffins / Lychee cup cakes

Common names for Lychee fruit: Lychee, Litchi, Leechee, Lichee, Lichi..
Very delicious fruit from Asia. I just taught of making muffins/cupcakes out of it. You can make lychee pudding also which is very delicious than any other puddings. Taste good. You can click here to know more about this fruit

You will need:

• 2 cup Maida/All purpose flour, Whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter (room temperature)/ Oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup lychee juice/ milk (Can go for ½ cup milk + ½ cup lychee juice also)
• 1 can lychee fruit
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Lychee fruit in can..



Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Preparing dry ingredients:

In a mixing bowl sieve together maida/all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Preparing wet ingredients:

In another mixing bowl cream butter/oil, egg, vanilla extract, lychee juice/ milk, sugar using electric beater for 2 min till it become fluffy.

Step 3:

Mixing wet and dry ingredients:

Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients little by little till it get mixed well. Use a spatula to fold the flour with the wet ingredients. If using electric mixer to mix the flour, mix it till the flour get coated with the wet ingredients. Do not over mix.

Step 4:

Chop the lychee fruit to bite size pieces. Drain it in the paper towel.

Step 5:

Mix ¾ quantity of the chopped fruit to the above muffin batter and mix it using spatula. Save other ¼ quantity of the lychee fruit for the next step.

Step 6:

Arrange the muffin paper cups in the muffin pan. Spoon into greased muffin pans, filling ¾ full. Finally sprinkle ¼ quantity lychee fruit which we saved in the last step on top of each muffins.



Step 7:

Bake it in 375F for 15 - 20 mins till it become golden brown color or till you get clean tooth pick. Same old technique.

Note: I made this muffins using olive oil and with lychee juice. You can try any combinations you like.

Appam/ Rice pancake

You will need:

• 2 cup sona masoori rice/ Basmathi rice
• 2 tbsp urad dal
• 1 cup cooked rice(can substitute with aval/poha also)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp sugar(can increase or decrease according to your taste)
• 1 tsp salt

Step 1:

Soak the rice and urad dal together for 6 to 8 hours or even overnight.

Step 2:

Grind to a fine paste using water/ milk/ coconut milk. When grinding add aval/poha also. Grind it to a fine paste.

Step 3:

Allow it to ferment overnight inside oven or in a warm place.

Step 4:

Add coconut milk to the fermented mixture and mix it well. Add salt and sugar. If it it too think just grind it once again in the mixie/blender.

Mix it well and make aapam using appam thawa. You can make appam using dosa thawa also. But obviously the shape differs .


Secret of making appam perfetly is making appam in a low heat. When you are pouring appam into the appam thawa it should be very less heat. After pouring the appam rise the heat to medium high. It will get ready within a min.

Ragi Idli

You will need:

• 1 cup whole ragi/ragi flour
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup cooked rice(optional)
• ½ cup urad dhal
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 tsp salt
• oil to grease the idli tray

Step 1:

Soak urad dal separately in water.

Step 2:

Soak rice, ragi, fenugreek seeds together in warm water.

Step 3:

I prefer overnight soaking. Should soak it for minimum 6 to 8 hours .

Step 4:

Grind urad dal separately till it become very soft and attain paste like texture.. Add less water when grinding urad dal.

Step 5:

Grind the rice, ragi, fenugreek seeds together. Add cooked rice to this mixture if you are adding it.. Grind it to a fine paste.

Step 6:

Mix this rice, ragi mixture to the urad dal mixture. Add salt and mix it with your hands. Allow it to ferment overnight or minimum 5 hours inside the oven or in a warm place.

Step 7:

Allow water to boil in the pressure cooker or idli cooker. Grease the idli trays with oil and pour this batter onto the idli trays.



Place these trays in the cooker and cook it for 10 mins . Do not use whistle.

Serve it with idli chutney powder, lamb curry, spicy chicken curry.

Marble Cake

You will need:

• ½ cup butter (1 stick)/ olive oil (room temp)
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cup All purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp yogurt/curd(you can substitute with buttermilk too)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp red color
• ¼ tsp green color
  
• ¼ tsp yellow color
  

Step 1:

Preparing dry ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Sieve together flour, baking powder and salt and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Preparing wet ingredients:

In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs using an electric mixer on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add sugar, butter/oil , and vanilla essence to it and mix it for 1 min. Finally add curd/yogurt and mix it for a min.

Step 3:

Mixing wet and dry ingredients together:

Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients little by little. After that using a spatula fold the flour very well with the dry ingredients.

Step 4:

Making marble cake:

Divide the dough into 3 equal amounts. Better to use 3 mixing bowl . In one bowl add green color and in the other add red color and in the other add yellow color.

Step 5:

Now take a loaf pan and grease it with oil/butter.(In this way you can avoid the batter sticking on the bottom.

Step 6:

Pour 1 tbsp yellow color mixture in the greased loaf pan as shown in pic.


Step 7:

Next pour 1 tbsp green mixture as shown in pic.


Step 8:

Then build red mixture as shown in pic on top of the yellow mixture.


Step 9:

Repeat the step 6, 7 and 8 till you get over with all the cake mixture.


Step 10:

Finally using a tooth pick just draw lines on the batter and it will look like this. This step is purely optional. By drawing lines using tooth pick will give very good marble design. You can use tooth pick/ table knife (or wooden skewer) through the batters in a swirling motion to get a marble deisgn.

Step 11:

Transfer the cake mixture in the oven and bake it for 35 to 45 mins or till you get a clean tooth pick. Same old technique.




Cut and serve with whipped cream on top or as it is..

Note:

Can substitute the colors with cocoa powder for chocolate lovers. Can mix your favourite colors like pink, orange like that..

Dal Rice

Today tot of posting some recipes which is simple and tasty. After making this rice few months back, this became our favorite recipe. So those who love dal can definitely try this recipe. Very simple to make and comforting food too..



You will need:

• 1 cup rice
• ½ cup moong dhal
• ½ cup toor dhal
• 1 tbsp whole garam masala(cardamom, cinnamon, star-anise)
• 5 clove garlic
• 1 medium onion(finely chopped)
  
• 1 tomato (finely chopped)
• 3 green chillies
  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 3 red chilies
  
• salt for taste
  
• 1 string curry leaves
• ½ cup coconut milk(optional)
  
• 2 tbsp oil/ghee(clarified butter)
  

Step 1:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole garam masala and curry leaves to it one after the other. Add chopped onions to it along with chopped green chillies, red chili and garlic. Saute it for 2 mins and then add chopped tomato.

Step 2:

Now add the washed dal to it along with 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook it till its overcooked. Pressure cooking time differs for each brand.

Step 3:

In the mean time cook the rice separately till its overcooked.

Overcooking rice is purely optional. If you don't like overcooked rice, then cook the rice as per your desired consistency.

Step 4:

When the dal is ready mash the dal using a spoon . Then add the coconut milk and salt to it.



Step 5:

Now mix the cooked dal mixture with the cooked rice. Check for salt. Dal rice is now ready to serve.

Enjoy with appalam/pappadam, fish fry. Very delicious and satisfying weekend brunch for dal lovers..

Egg Gravy

One busy day i dint get time to boil the eggs. As you know boiling eggs takes minimum 10 mins, then again taking the shells out of it will take 5 more mins, then again making a gravy 10 mins. So just tot of making egg poached gravy. It took less than 15 mins and it was tasty too. So simple and tasty. For those of you who don't have time to boil the eggs can follow this recipe.


You will need :

• 5 eggs
  
• 2 onion(finely chopped)
• 2 tomato(finely chopped)
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  
• 3 green chillies
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 string curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 3 tbsp oil
• salt for taste
• ½ tsp amchoor powder(mango powder).. purely optional
  

Step 1:

Finely chop onions, tomatoes and green chillies and keep it aside.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and then the cumin seeds. Now add curry leaves, onions and green chillies and saute it till it turns light golden brown color.

Step 3:

Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute it for a min and then add tomatoes to it and close the lid for 3 mins. Then add red chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute it for 2 mins.

Step 4:

Add water , amchoor powder and salt to this and allow it to boil just for a min.

Hint:

For additional taste you can add one raw in the gravy egg at this time and stir it well. Then do the next step. So that you will have some scrambled egg also in the gravy.

Step 5:

Now open the eggs one by one and pour it directly on the gravy carefully. Do not stir it after adding the eggs. Close it with a lid for 10 mins keeping the flame on medium heat.


After 10 mins just check whether the egg is fully cooked inside. If not allow it to boil for few more mins. Now add the coconut milk and switch off the heat. Add ½ tsp lemon juice on top of it and serve it with chapathi, poori.



You can make this gravy using boiled eggs too..

If you like a dry egg poached gravy just avoid adding the coconut milk and add less amount of water. Can add scrambled eggs with this gravy to get extra taste and extra richness..

If you don't like whole poached eggs, you can stir the egg gravy mixture after pouring the egg on the gravy. Very simple right.

Spicy Fish Fry

This is the easy recipe specially for fish lovers . No need for marination. You can start frying fish as soon as you finished coating it. But people who have time for marination can marinate this for 20 mins. This is purely optional. I haven't notice any difference between marinated fish fry and the other one.

So i prefer to make this dish whenever there is dal rice. It goes well with dal rice and rasam rice.

• ½ lb King fish
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
  
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 string curry leaves(finely chopped)
• pinch of turmeric powder(optional)
• 1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil

Step 1:

Clean the fish and cut into pieces.

Step 2:

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together except fish. Finally add the fish pieces and coat the fish with the above mixture.

No need for marination. You can start frying fish as soon as you finished coating it. But people who have time for marination can allow this to marinate for 20 mins. This is purely optional. I haven't notice any difference between marinated fish fry and the other one.

Step 3:

Heat a non-stick pan and fry the fish pieces in medium flame for 4 min. After 4 min flip it to the other side and fry it for 3 mins.

Note:

No need to add oil when frying fish,because we have already added oil during first stage itself.