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.

Semiya kesari

Though Iam not a person who likes sweets, my hubby loves anything sweet.But somehow I was in the mood for making something sweet today.Had a quick nap in the afternoon and got up to make some kesari(as its the quickest and simplest to make).When I opened my kitchen closet I was disappointed to see my Rava(sooji ) box empty.I dont know how I forgot that!!! Anyway I started browsing through the cupboard, with all other alternate sweet receipes(thanks to my fellow bloggers ) running through my mind.Thats when I saw the vermicelli packet lying unnoticed in the back, along with other pasta boxes.My eyes brightened with relief cos I can make the same kesari using vermicelli and dont have to break my mind for another sweet receipe.

Here is the receipe

2 cups of Vermicilli
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 cup chopped cashews
3 tsp raisins
a pinch of kesari powder
2 elaichi powdered

Fry the cashews and raising in atsp of ghee until golden brown
In the same pan fry the vermicilli in another tsp of ghee until golden brown.set aside.
In a kadai add 4 cups of water and bring it to rolling boil, add elaichi and a pinch of kesari powder to it.Then add the vermicelli to the boiling water and cook till the water is absorbed.
Now add the sugar and mix well for 10 mins.
Finally add the remaining ghee, cashews and raisins and mix well.

Note : Adjust the amount of sugar, and ghee as per your need.

Simple Cabbage Porial

Here is a simple cabbage porial receipe.I made this as a side dish for the black eyed peas kuzhambhu, but got time to post it only now.I think this is how everyone else makes day to day vegetables like cabbage, carrots, beans etc...so need not elaborate on that.However I would like to cook the vegetables such that they do not lose the colour and crunchiness.Most vegetables lose their vitamins when its overcooked.
Cabbage tastes delicious when cooked with crunchy moong dhal

Ingredients:
2 cups of shredded cabbage
2 green chillies
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp channa dhal
few curry leaves

Method:
Add 1 tsp of oil in a pan.When the oil is hot add the mustard , urad dhal, channa dhal, and curry leaves. Now add the onions and chillies and fry well.
Now add the cabbage and salt and mix well. Sprinkle some water probably a handful and then reduce the flame to sim and allow it to cook in its own steam for 10 mins.

Black eyed peas kulambhu with drumsticks and egg

This is my entry to the JFI event conducted by Sailu for the month of July.

My mom makes this kulambhu atleast once a month especially on saturdays.Back at home she used to soak the dry black eyed peas overnight and then cook it in the morning, whereas over here its much easier to make this kulambhu using the frozen ones readily available.The addition of boiled egg and drumsticks to this makes it more good.But those are optional you can always omit the eggs part if you are a vegetarian.Some other vegetables that could be used are raw plantain, brinjal, or potatoes.
To take it up one more notch, you can also add dried fish or dried shrimp to this kulambhu.

Ingredients:

1 cup black eyed peas(dried or fresh frozen)
10 pieces of drumsticks
10 small onions or 1 medium sized onion sliced thinly
1 medium sized tomato chopped finely
3 garlic cloves sliced thinlly
Juice of lemon sized tamarind soaked in 1 cup water.
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
1 tsp curry leaves powder (op)
1/2 tsp fenugreek powder (op)

2 boiled eggs

for tempering:
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp channa dhal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
few curry leaves

Method:

Add 2 tsp of oil in a thick bottomed vessel, when the oil is hot add all the tempering ingredients.
when the mustard pops add garlic and curry leaves, to this add onions and fry well.
When the onions are tranlucent add the tomotoes and fry well.
To this add the black eyed peas , turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder salt and fry till oil seperated.Now add the drumstick pieces and mix well. To this add the tamarind juice , check the taste for salt and karam.close it with a lid and allow it to boil for 1o mins or until the kulambhu becomed thick. Make slits on the boiled egg and add to the kulambhu at this stage and add the curry leaves powder, fenygreek powder mix well and boil for 2 mins and switch of the stove.

The kulambhu should rest atleast for an hour before its served.

Methi Channa

I completely ran out of onions last week for almost five days.I passed four days by making some mixed rice, but finally on the fifth day, I desperatly wanted to make some curry for roti's. Suddenly this receipe which was blogged by GaramMasala long back came to my mind.I also remembered that the original receipe was from Hemant's cookery corner.So I followed the same and used fresh methi leaves.
That's it my dinner was ready in 30 minutes, used canned channa though :).
I am not giving the receipe here as I followed exactly as Hemant's, So just posting the picture alone.Its surely a must to try receipe.