Prawn/Shrimp Ghassi

Several years ago, me and family used to visit Mahesh lunch home in Bombay. They used to serve great sea food. At the first visit, I tried King fish fry. It is called “surmai” in local language. The fish was very large sized about ¾ inch thick slice. I tried fish curry the next time. It was totally different with fenugreek seeds and tamarind. No spices were used.
This is how I tried to replicate the same dish. To enhance the color and make it spicy, I added 1 teaspoon red chili powder. For me, this dish will go with any item (rice, chappathi, poori, idli, dosai, even the ones I don’t like….Bread, Pav, Roti, Naan,etc.)


Ingredients:
Shrimp (cleaned and deveined)– 500 gms
Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoon
Whole dry red chilli – 4
Black pepper – 8 – 10
Fenugreek seeds– ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Coconut ( grated ) – 1 cup
Onions (big)- 1 (chopped)
Garlic – 3 big cloves (crushed and minced)
Red chili powder – 1 tea spoon (mild – optional)
Tamarind - walnut size.
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt as required.
Oil for cooking.

Method:
Soak the tamarind in little water. Extract the pulp out.
Sauté coriander seeds, whole red chili, black pepper, Fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds in teaspoon of oil. Allow to cool.
In a mixer/grinder add the sautéed items ,grated coconut, turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and grind into paste.
In a kadai heat the oil and add the chopped onion and fry till it become translucent.
Then add the minced garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and sauté.
After 2 to 4 minutes add the ground paste,salt and add 1/2 cup of water.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or till the gravy thickens.

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Plain dosai and variety toppings

Here are few of the many ways of topping dosai. The choice of topping is up to anyone's imagination.

How to prepare the dosai batter ?
Ingredients:
Parboiled rice – 3 cups
Urad dal – 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt

Method:
Soak the rice in water for 6 hours.
Soak the urad dal & fenugreek in water for 4 hours.
Grind them into a soft batter.
Ferment for 8 to 10 hrs. You may want to transfer the batter to a bigger container.
After fermentation add required salt and mix well.



How to make Pudina thuvaiyal?


Ingredients:
Pudina - 1 bunch ( 100gm)
Channa dal – 2 tablespoons
Urad dal – 2 tablespoons
Tamarind – 1 teaspoon
Whole dry red chilli – 4
Asafoetida
Salt
Oil
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds and cumin seeds

Method:
Heat the oil in a kadai and add the channa dal, urad dal.
Fry the dals till golden colour.
Remove the dals and keep in a plate or bowl.
Add whole red chilli and tamarind and fry for 1 minute.
Finally add pudina leaves and fry for 4 minutes in medium flame.
Let it cool.
In a blender add channa dal,urad dal,whole red chilli,tamarind,salt,pudina and grind.
Season it with mustard seeds ,cumin and asafoetida.

Moong sprouts Dosai



Chocolate Dosai




Papad dosai



Cauliflower Tomato Dosai



Semiya Channa Dal Dosai



Mozzarella Cheese Dosai



Chettinadu Dosai
This topping is made using saunf, cinnamon, clove,whole pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Sauté d and ground.



Corn Dosai



Podi Dosai



Pizza topping dosai



Egg Dosai

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Whole wheat chappathi with mixed vegetables

Mixed Vegetables

It is my wish to have strictly healthy diet. But never succeeded in having a healthy diet. Everytime, I cook a healthy food, kids refuse to take that food. I end up cooking spicy and tasty food all the time. Yesterday, I made chappathis using whole wheat flour. Kids ate them up.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables (cut) – 1 cup (I used beans, carrot, zucchini, capsicum, potatoes)
Onion – ½ (chopped)
Grated garlic – ½ teaspoon
Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon
Tomatoes – 2 (small – chopped)
Red chilli powder – 1 ½ teaspoon (mild)
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) – 1 teaspoon
Amchur powder – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin powder- ¼ teaspoon
Salt as required.
Oil.
Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 teaspoons
Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon
Method:
Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle add the onion and sauté till it turns light brown.
Add the grated garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes , salt and mix.
Add the cut vegetables except capsicum and mix well.
Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and sauté well.
Cook by adding water.
When half of the water is absorbed add kasoori methi, cumin powder, amchur powder and mix.
When vegetables become dry add garam masala, capsicum pieces and coriander leaves.
Mix for 2 minutes in simmer.
Serve with chappathis or rotis.

Whole wheat chappathi
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
Water as required
Salt
Oil
Method:
Make the dough.
Run the roller pin over small ball.
Cook in a chapathi maker or flat tawa.

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Broiled Pomfret

Pomfret is one of my favorite fishes. There are 3 varieties of Pomfrets - Silver Pomfret, Black Pomfret and Chinese Pomfret. I have seen only two varieties, i.e, the silver and black one. I have no idea how the Chinese one looks like. When I bought the Silver Pomfret last time, it was Rs 160/Kg. In Florida, it is $5.99/lb. You may look up more details about this fish at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramidae.


Ingredients:
Pomfret cut pieces – 8
Garlic (big) – 3 cloves (crushed and minced)
Red chilli powder – 2 teaspoons(mild)
Corainder powder – 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt as required
Lime juice – ½ teaspoon
Oil as required for basting
Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon
Lemon wedges

Method:
In a mixing bowl add minced garlic, red chilli powder, coriander powder,turmeric, salt, lime juice and mix. If required, sprinkle some water in this mixture and apply all over the fish pieces.
Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven in broiler mode high for 5 minutes.
Grease or spray with oil on the baking tray.
In the baking tray, place all the fish pieces and baste little oil and keep it in the oven. Broil in low for 10 minutes.
Turn other side and baste with oil and broil for another 10 minutes or till it's well cooked. At the final 2 minutes you may also set the broiler in high mode to get the barbequed look.
Garnish as you like.

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Pink Cranberry Chutney

I felt like making a chutney with different taste. Cranberry is the victim of this. Instead of making the chutney with usual ingredients, I replaced tomatoes with cranberries. For suppressing the bitter taste, I added jaggery. My hubby loved the side dish! I had it, but with little hesitation. I liked the color. Since it has Vitamin C, I took it for a better health. They almost taste like plums when eaten raw!

Ingredients:
Cranberry (fresh) -1 cup (cut into half)
Red onion – ½ (sliced)
Garlic – 2 cloves
Ginger – ½ inch (chopped)
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Dry whole red chillies -4
Tamarind - 1 spoon
Powdered jaggery - 1 to 2 teaspoons
Salt as per taste.
Oil for sautéing.

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai and add sliced onions and sauté till it changes color.
Add ginger, garlic, red chilli and sauté.
Then add the chopped cranberries and sauté in low flame. Add the salt. When the cranberries become mushy, include the tamarind and sauté for 1minute . Remove from fire.
Cool. Grind all the sauted mixture with coconut. Finally add the jaggery according to your taste and run the blender once.

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Kanchipuram Idli steamed in banana leaf

The name Kanchipuram, always reminds me temples, silk sarees and idlis. Needless to say all this. The Kanchiuram idlis are mildly spiced and oil is added in the batter. My better half was reminiscent of this dish he had tasted at some restaurants in Bombay. I thought of giving it a try. I steamed the idlis in banana leaves which gave extra fragrance. I have left the kancheepuram idli cups back at home. Alternatively, I tried them in stainless steel glasses, which is the closest I could get.

Ingredients:
Raw rice – 1 cup
Parboiled rice – 1 cup
Urad dal – 1½ cup
Salt
Baking soda – 2 pinch
Sesame oil – 2 teaspoon
For seasoning:
Urad dal – 1½ teaspoon
Channa dal – 1½ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Pepper corn - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies – 4 ( deseeded and chopped finely)
Fresh ginger – ½ inch (grated)
(or)
Dry ginger powder – ¼ teaspoon
Curry leaves – 5 (chopped)
Hing – ¼ teaspoon
Oil to sauté
Cashewnuts (whole) – 5 ( broken into pieces)

Method:
Soak the rices, dal and grind like preparing for regular idli.
Next morning, just an hour before preparation add salt, baking soda, 2 teaspoons sesame oil (heat the oil and pour in the batter) and mix well. Keep it aside.
After one hour heat the oil in a kadai and add the channa dal, urad dal.
Add the cashews and fry all , till it turns golden color.
Then add the half broken cumin and pepper, grated ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, hing and sauté.
Pour this mixture in the batter and mix.
Get the steamer go on.
Layer the banana leaves along the inner side of idli cup.
Pour the batter.


Cover the top with banana leaf.
Steam for 20 minutes. (Once cooked, the idli should not stick when touched) .

Side dish: chutneys, podis, sambar. I prepared cranberry chutney for idli.

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