Fish Curry/Salmon Curry with Coconut.

I feel that Salmon doesn't pair up well with the South Indian fish Kulambhu. I usually make a simple salmon curry with tomato paste which I have blogged here or bake the fish like I mentioned here.But this delicious curry is my recent favorite and as salmon is loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids I make it at-least once a week now.

Ingredients:
Salmon Fillets -4 (I used frozen)
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
2 tblsp chopped garlic
1 tblsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp fennel/sombhu seeds
few curry leaves

To grind
3 tblsp shredded cococut
1 tblsp whole black pepper seeds
1 tblsp jeera/cumin seeds

Method:
In a wide pan, add 2 tblsp of olive oil.
To the hot oil  add the fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Now add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger, fry till the onion is browned.
Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turns mushy.
Add the chilli and the coriander powder, fry till the oil is released from the tomatoes.
Now add 1/2 cup of water, mix well and bring it to a boil. Add the fish gently , reduce the heat to medium and close with a lid.
After 5 mins open the lid and gently turn over the fish. Again close and cook for another 3 mins.
Meanwhile grind the coconut, pepper and jeera and add the paste to the gravy along with 1/2 cup of water.
Mix gently and cook till it comes to a boil. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

Note:
The gravy should be slightly thick and not very thin.
Do not over cook the fish, else it will turn rubbery.
If you want to avoid coconut, substitute with 3 tblsp of Dhalia /pottukadalai. Fry the chutney dhal in a pan without oil for 2 mins and then grind with pepper and jeera.

Fish Fry

Fish fry is one of the simplest method or way to cook fish. My Mom always fries fish in the dosa pan(kal) with generous amount of oil. I have chosen the less greasy version of using a nonstick pan with 1 to 2 tsps of oil, works fine for me. The trick to get a good fish fry without being dried out on the inside is to fry the fish in medium to medium high heat. If fried for a long time in low heat, the fish tends to become dry.

Baking is another option, but it depends on the variety of fish, I do that for salmon as here.

Ingredients:

Fish steaks or fillets(8 pieces)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp fennel /sombu powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chopped garlic

salt as required

Method:

Clean and wash the fish fillets. 

Add the chilli powder, fenel powder, turmeric, garlic, and salt and mix well to coat.

Marinate for atleast 15 mins.

Take non stick pan, add about 2 -3 tsps of oil.

Fry the fish in batches under medium heat until crisp and brown on both sides.

Remove and place in the paper towel to drain excess oil.

Enjoy with white rice and rasam my favorite combination.

Prawn Pulao

Last week the weather was pretty good (comparitively) with slight sunshine and temperature above 5 C, but again this week its back to the usual,  cold and freezing . At times like this the craving for something hot and spicy starts creeping right from the morning as soon as you see the dark gloomy skies. Usually it ends up in a deep fried snack in the evening, but this time I made this delicious pulao for lunch to satisfy my craving. A perfect winter lunch to keep up with the freezing temperature.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
15 jumbo sized Prawns
2 green chillies
1 medium tomato chopped finely
1 medium onion , sliced
1 cup of mint leaves(packed)
1 cup of coriander leaves(packed)
8 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger piece
2 tsp coriander powder
1 inch cinnamon piece
3 cloves
1 cardomon
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tblsp lemon juice

Method:
Remove the shells and devein the prawns.Wash thoroughly and butterfly the Prawns.(Make a slit at the top).
 Marinate with 1/2 tsp of turmeric,  little bit of salt and some lemon juice.
Slice the onions and chop the tomatoes finely.
Grind the mint -coriander leaves, green chillies , garlic and ginger to a fine paste.
In a heavy bottomed pan or a non stick pan add 2 tblsp of oil.
When the oil is hot add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, and when the cloves pop add the onion and fry well.
To this add the marinated prawns  and stir for 2- 3 minutes till all the prawns turn pink in colour.
At this stage remove all the prawns and keep aside.
Now add the ground masala and fry till the raw smell leaves.
To this add the chopped tomatoes , turmeric and coriander powder and fry till oil leaves the side of the pan.
Add 3 cups of water close with a lid and allow to boil.
When the water is boiling well, add the soaked basmati rice mix well and close with a tight lid and cook for 5-6 mins in medium heat.
At this stage the water will be 3/4th absorbed.Now add the cooked prawns stir well. Close with the tight lid  and cook for 10 - 12 minutes in a very low flame.
Sprinkle some lemon juice before serving.

Serve with raita of your choice.

Note: Adding the Prawns in the last stage prevents it from becoming rubbery.
Adjust the amount of green chillies as per your taste.
If you are using the presssure cooker, follow the same method. After adding the Prawns close the cooker, put on the weight, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 mins.(do not wait for the whistle).

My Version of Fish Cutlets

Since my travel date to India has been confirmed, Iam trying to clear up my pantry by exhausting the supplies and limiting my shopping just to vegetables.The Starkist tuna cans has been sitting in my pantry for more than two months now.I thought of completing my long pending quest to make fish cutlets as we had some friends over last weekend.The last time I remember making this dish was for some potluck party 2 years back in seattle.I learned this receipe from one of my friend who was my roommate back then..
By now you would have known many versions of Cutlets however Iam posting my version of it which is much quicker to make.Do try it and let me know your feedback.

Ingredients:

2 small cans/packets of Tuna.
1 large potato or 2 medium size potatoes
1/2 medium size onion chopped very finely
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
some curry leaves finly chopped (op)
2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp maida dissoved in 1/2 cup of water
1 cup bread crumbs
Oil for frying.

Method:

• First boil the potatoes in microwave.Wash in water, poke it with a fork or knife in 2 -3 places and the cook in high for 5 mins or you can cook it in pressure cooker for 3 whistles.Remove the skin when cooled.
• Next open the tuna packets or can, discard the liquid transfer it to a microwavable dish and cook covered for 2 mins.(cover and cook , otherwise the fish will splatter)
• When the fish and potatoes are cooled mix them together and mash well without any lumps.
• To this add all the other ingredients except the maida and bread crumbs.
• Mix well and check for salt and spice level.Make small lemon sized balls out of it.
• Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying.Spread the bread crumbs in a plate.
• Take one ball dip in the maida liquid,flatten the ball and then roll over the bread crumbs.The bread crumbs should coat all sides of the cutlet. Drop it in the hot oil and deep fry. Continue with other balls.
• Place them in paper towel to drain excess oil before transfering to a serving tray.

Note:
The maida liquid should be watery rather than like a paste.Most cutlet receipe call for egg white for binding, but maida water works well for me.If you are short of flour , you can also use besan flour to make this liquid, that too works just fine.Its just used for the bread crumbs to stick well. Do not add water to the fish-potato mixture at any point.Always use unsalted plain bread crumbs.

Prawns varuval/fry

This weekend I made Prawns after a very long time.The taste of the prawns/shrimps that we get here nowhere matches the taste of those we get in India, I dont know why, may be because they are precooked, anyway..because of this we have stopped eating shrimp for quite a long time. Still once in a while when I get the cravings to eat shrimp we would get the uncooked ones from the store in small amount.
When we were kids, my mother used to make a dish called prawn thokku on sundays, which we would always prefer to eat with just white rice and rasam.The combination of rasam and this thokku is absolutely delicious.
I wanted to do the same this weekend... so made prawn thokku, sambhar and rasam for the weekend lunch.

Ingredients:
Prawns/Shrimp - 1 lb
1 mediun sized onions
1 medium sized tomato
1 tsp chilli pwd
1 tsp sombhu powder (fennel powder)
1 tblsp minced garlic
few curry leaves.

Method.
Clean and wash the shrimp.Sprinkle with turmeric pwd, mix and keep it aside
In a pan add 2 tsps of oil, when the oil is hot add garlic, onions, curry leaves and fry well.
When the onions is golden brown, add the chopped tomatoes and fry till oil seperates.
Now add the chilli powder, sombhu powder and salt. add 1/2 cup of water and close with a lid.
When the gravy is bubbling, add the shrimp and mix well till its coated well with the masala.
reduce the flame and allow it to be cooked for 5 mins or till the gravy thickens.
Switch of the stove and garnish with cilantro.