Fish Pakora || Fish Fry

Bringing this delicious and crispy recipe from our new year's eve tradition at home. With my kids usually preparing for upcoming exams, my husband loved to serve these warm for the starters along side some cozy drinks. Hope enjoy these while you welcome the new year!

Ingredients

• Deboned fish fillets cut into small pieces           500 gm

         (Rohu or any flaky/white fish)

• Wheat flour                                                          2 tbsp
• Asafoetida(heeng)                                               1 pinch
• Mustard oil                                                          1 tsp
• Lemon juice                                                        1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder                                                 1 tsp
• Gram flour (besan)                                              1 tea cup
• Rice flour                                                            1/2 tea cup
• Yellow mustard powder                                      1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder                                               1/4 tsp
• Kashmiri redchilli powder(optional)                  1/4 tsp                       
• Ginger                                                                 2"piece
• Green chilies                                                       3-4 pieces
• Garlic                                                                  4-5 cloves
• Dry garam masala                                              1/2 tsp
• Chat masala                                                        1 tsp
• Oil                                                                       3-4  serving spoon                                               

Preparation

1. Wash the fish with water 2 to 3 times and rinse the water. Then add asafoetida in a cup water and soak the fish in it for few seconds and rinse. Gently rub wheat flour on the fish and rinse again.
2. Initial treatment to get rid of the smell-

                    Salt.                         1 tsp
                    Mustard oil              1 tsp
                    Lemon juice            1 tbsp
                    Turmeric powder     1/2 tsp

        

         Take a big bowl, remove the water thoroughly. Sprinkle above things on the fish and mix well.    

         Keep aside for 30 minutes cover with cling wrap, later wash it thoroughly.

Marination

1. Take gram flour and rice flour in a deep bowl.
2. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli into a thin paste.
3. Add the paste to the bowl along with turmeric powder, mustard powder, red chilli Powder and dry garam masala. Add water slowly in small quantity till you get a thick batter (thickness can be compared that of a cake batter).

1. Add salt.
2. Take the rinsed fish pieces and drain any excess water. Now add fish into the batter and evenly coat on both sides of the pieces.
3. Cover the bowl with lid and keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes for marination.

Cooking Method

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan on high flame for few minutes or till you see fumes coming out.
2. Very carefully add 3-4 pieces of battered fish in the hot oil to fry. Reduce flame to medium and fry the fish till they become golden brown on both sides (take about 2-3 minutes for each piece to cook on both sides)

1. Continue  this process till all fish pieces are fried properly.
2. Now Fish Pakoras are ready. 
   

To serve

Take all fish Pakoras in a serving dish, squeeze some lemon juice over them and sprinkle chaat masala. Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves.

Serve hot with mint and coriander chutney, along with your favorite drinks!

Roasted Chicken

          My blog has been dormant for quite a long time and i missed my blogger friends and dear readers like anything.Whatever held me back, i had to come back and i am here with the recipe Roasted Chicken,a popular dish among non-veges.

Ingredients

• Chicken full 600-800gm [dressed and cut into 4 pieces,that is,2 breast and 2 back pieces length wise]
• Garlic   9-10 flakes
• Ginger medium size  1 
• Curd  500gm
• Lemon  1 medium size
• Turmeric powder  1tsp  
• Red chilli powder  1/2tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder  1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder  2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Dry garam masala powder  1 tsp
• Corn flour   2-3 tbsp
• Refined oil  1-2 tbsp
• Tandoori color [optional]

Preparation

• Wash and clean the chicken pieces carefully.Make diagonal slits all over with a knife.Rub with lemon and mixture of salt,1/4 turmeric powder,red chilli powder and.Leave it for about 2 hours in the Fridge.
• Prepare paste of garlic and ginger.
•  Strain curd.
• Mix dry garam masala powder,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,Kashmiri red chilli powder,coriander powder,corn flour and 1 spoon refined oil in the strained curd.
• Mix well. Dip all the pieces into paste,marinate again by leaving it into fridge for another 3-4 hours,

 

 

 

 Method 

• Place the marinated chicken pieces on the grilling rack but out of microwave.Leave it for about 15 minutes so that excess marinade may be drained out.
  
  
• Brush with a little oil,put into microwave,adjust on cook mode and cook on the grilling rack on  100% power for 20-30minutes till tender.Turn the pieces over half way through cooking time.
• Now adjust microwave to grill mode.
• Grill for 15-20 minutes repositioning the pieces frequently.Brush again with a little oil 2-3 times for even cooking on all the sides to get tender and juicy roasted chicken.

Roasted chicken is ready.
Serve hot.

[Note: In case you use OTG,then preheat to 350 degree centigrade.Place chicken pieces on grill rack in OTG.Now set at grill mode.Cook at 220 deg.cent. for 20-30 minutes.Keep on repositioning the pieces.]

 

Murg Musallam [A Royal Awadhi Chicken Recipe]

       

        Musallam connotes a whole chicken.This is a rich Awadhi cuisine made of whole chicken,in stuffed category,and of great taste,rich aroma & flavour.The present recipe is a bit in deviation from original procedure accommodating the modern way of   cooking & convenience.A royal sight on your dining table before your guests in a dawat!

Ingredients :

• Dressed whole chicken  1 [500-600 gm]

For marination-

• Lemon  1
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp

For Stuffing-

• Mutton keema [minced mutton]  250 gm
• Green cardamoms  4
• Cinnamon  2"
• Cloves  3
• Bay leaf  3  
• Mace [javitri]  2 leaves
• Red chili powder  1 tsp
• Dry garam masala  1tsp
• Ginger  2" piece
• Onion  4 medium
• Green chili  4-5
• Garlic  6-7 cloves
• Poppy seeds  2 tsp
• Milk  1/2 cup
• Khoya or paneer  1/2 cup
• Kewra essence  a few drops
• Salt to taste
• Refined oil or pure ghee  4 tbsp
• For garnishing-
• Eggs  3 boiled
• Coriander leaves  1 bunch

 Preparation :

•  Marination of chicken: Wash the chicken thoroughly.Make cuts on all the parts of chicken.Rub lemon juice on every part of it and apply turmeric powder and salt as well.Keep aside for 2 hours for marination.

• Marination of keema: Wash thoroughly the minced mutton,mix salt and leave aside  for 1/2 hour.Thereafter throw away discharged water.

• Cut finely the ginger,garlic and onions lengthwise.Grind half of these together.
• Chop finely the green coriander leaves.
• Soak poppy seeds in milk for 1/2 hour.Then grind the poppy seeds with milk itself.
• Cut the green chiliies lengthwise.
• Boil the eggs.Fry two of them and grate the other one.
• Grate paneer [or mash khoya].

Method:

• For stuffing:  Heat a pressure cooker,add 1 tbsp oil.Add green cardamom,mace,clove,cinnamon and fry for 1-2 seconds.Add pieces of onion and fry till golden brown.
• Add keema and 1/4 tsp of salt.Fry,keep stirring till discharged water is tried up.Add dry garam masala,red chili powder,poppy seed paste,keep stirring
• .Cover the lid without valve,and cook till keema gets tender.Add green chili pieces and paneer or khoya,mix and cook for 5 minutes.Close the flame.Add kewra.Cut the fried egg into 8 pieces and mix.Stuffing is ready.

• For chicken:  Heat remaining oil or ghee in a cooker,add the full chicken,fry carefully until semi tender.Take it out and place on a big plate.
• Stuff the chicken with the  keema stuffing properly.Keep the remaining stuffing aside.

• Add onion,garlic and ginger paste in the remaining oil in the heated cooker.Fry,keep stirring till oil starts oozing in the bottom.
• Add the remaining stuffing.Mix well.
• Place the stuffed chicken in it.Cover well the chicken with masala from bottom of cooker.Cover cooker with lid.Cook for 1 whistle,lower the flame,cook for another 10 minutes.

Close the flame.When pressure is released,remove the lid,take out chicken carefully,so that it is not broken, in a serving tray.

• 

The murg musallam is ready.
 


 Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and grated egg.
Serve hot.Cut into medium pieces with a sharp edged knife at the time of meal itself.
Ideal companion- rumali roti or nan and rice [preferably basmati rice].

Creamy Chicken Soup

     Among the soups,the chicken soup very popular among people of all age group.It is a low calorie,evergreen and yummy food.It is a rich source of calcium,hence nutritious too.A modified version is Creamy Chicken Soup!

Ingredients:

For Stock-

• Chicken 500 gm
•  [Avoid frozen chicken which gives lesser flavour.Also dark meat of chicken,i.e,thigh,leg etc provide strong flavour..]
• Onion  1 big
• Ginger  1 small
• Water  8 cup
• Bay leaves 2
• Green cardamom 4 pieces
• Cloves  4
• Mace [javitri ]  1 leave
• Salt  1/2 tsp

For Soup- 

• Stock  6 cups
  
• Butter  3 tsp
• Milk  1 cup
• Cream  1/4 cup
• Cheese  1/2 cup grated



Grated Cheese

• Corn flour or fine wheat flour [maida]  5 tsp
• Black pepper  1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Green coriander leaves  a few leaves.

Peeling off chicken

Shredded Chicken

Method:

For Stock-

• Put all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook,with cover on,for about 10 minutes.Take out breast pieces and cook again with out cover,the remaining part till the solution becomes slightly thick.Strain the solution.The stock is ready.
• Peel off meat of the breast pieces and keep separately.
  The filtered chicken pieces can be  used for masala chicken,kali mirch chicken,curry chicken curry etc.

For Soup-  

• Heat the butter in a deep pan.
• Add corn flour and fry for 2-3 seconds but the flour should not be brown.
• Add the stock gradually and stirring at the same time so that granules are not formed and mixture is smooth.Cook till a little thick.Keep stirring.
• Add breast chicken meat pieces,milk,salt and pepper.Bring to one boil.Close the flame.The soup is ready.
• Put in serving bowls,pour 1 tsp cream,1 tsp of cheese and chopped coriander leaves in each bowl. 

Serve hot with or without soup sticks.

Fish Korma

         Fish Korma is a very popular dish among fish food lovers of Northern India  as well as other parts of India.Various methods are prevalent to prepare it.So give a try to this one too.

Ingredients:

• Fish [rohu or tengan] [cut into round pieces]
  
  
     500 gm   

     To clean it--

•  Salt  1 tsp
•  Lemon juice  2 tsp
• Turmeric powder  1 tsp 
• Asafoetida [hing]  1/4 tsp
  
  
  

For masala to wrap fish--

•         Ginger  50 gm
•         Curd  250 gm
•         Garlic cloves  20
•         Salt to taste

Others:

• Onion  4 medium 
• Tomato  3 medium
• Green coriander leaves  1 bunch
• Dry garam masala powder  1 tsp
• Coriander powder
• Fenugreek seeds  1 tsp
• Red chili powder  1 tsp
• Oil [Mustard or refined]  1 cup

Preparation:

    1.To clean the fish pieces,rub hing on pieces and wash with water.Now rub the pieces with a mixture of salt [1 tsp] and lemon juice [2 tsp]. Mix turmeric powder and leave for 1/2 hour.Then wash thoroughly and let the excess water drain.

     2.To prepare masala to wrap the fish pieces,grind garlic and ginger.Add salt and beaten curd.Wrap the pieces with this paste and leave for about an hour.
    3.Chop finely the onions,tomato,green chili and green coriander leaves.
    4.Soak the fenugreek seeds in 1/2 cup of water.

Method:

• Heat a deep pan on full flame.Add  oil.
• Fry chopped onion till golden brown.Take out the fried onion.
• Grind fried onion,tomato and soaked fenugreek seeds.
• To this paste,add turmeric powder,red chili powder and coriander powder.Mix well to get a thick paste.
• Now ,take fish pieces out from curd mixture and fry in the pan till fish becomes light brown & tender.Take out the fried fish and keep separately.Save the remaining curd paste for later use.
• Now add the above thick paste to the pan.Fry by stirring continuously for a few seconds.
• Add gradually remaining curd paste of curd & garlic etc.,keep on stirring till all the paste is used and masala turns golden,oil starts oozing in the pan.
• Now add fried fish pieces,saute till all pieces are well wrapped.
• Add dry garam masala powder and 2 cup of water.Cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
• Ensure the gravy is thick.Close the flame.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot.  Ideal companion- Rice and paratha,roti or naan.

 

Christmas Pudding

                                          My sincere and hearty wishes on Merry Christmas to all the bloggers and non bloggers.The great Christmas is around.We are already up to celebrate it.Let us add some thing special and sweet as well as home made, up to occasion.So here is Christmas Pudding.  

Merry Christmas

        And why not try Fruit Cake too!

        

    Ingredients:

Peeled Orange

•  Maida [fine wheat flour]  1/2 cup
• White butter  6 tbsp
• Butter  6 tbsp
• Brown sugar  3/4 cup
• Eggs  2
• Orange and lemon-peeled [coarsely chopped]  1/4 cup
• Seedless dates  1/4 cup
• Walnut [chopped]  1/2 cup

  

  Brown Sugar

• Currants  1/4 cup
• Raisins  1/4 cup
• Brandy  2 tbsp
• Cinnamon powder  1/4 tsp
• Cloves powder  1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg powder  1/4 tsp



Dry Fruits

• Fresh white bread crumbs  1-1/2 cup
• Water  3 cups

For Hard Sauce

• White butter  1/2 cup
• Icing sugar  1/2 cup
• Brandy  2 tbsp
• Nutmeg powder  1 pinch

[ Note: in case ingredients are reduced,never reduce quantity of water.]

Serves: 6

Preparation:

• For Hard Sauce: Beat  butter in a bowl till it becomes light and fluffy. Add gradually sugar in small quantities at a time,keep on beating until whole sugar is added & mixture becomes creamy.Add brandy.Continue beating until  well blended.Add nutmeg powder.Chill until hard. 
• Beat the eggs.

Method:

•  Mix together orange and lemon peels,dates,walnut,currants,raisins,brandy and lemon juice and keep aside.
• Now,mix the maida,cinnamon,cloves and nutmeg powder,then sift.Add bread crumbs and stir well.
• Take remaining butter in a bowl,beat till light & fluffy.Add brown sugar in small quantities at a time and keep on beating till all sugar is used and mixture becomes light and fluffy.
• Add beaten eggs in small quantities at a time,keep on beating well.Fold in flour mixture and fruit & nut mixture.Add lemon juice,mix well.
• Spoon the mixture into a greased 1 liter mold.Cover mold lightly with aluminum foil, tie securely.
• Pour water into cooker,put grid [jaali] in cooker and place mold on grid.
• Close cooker  without pressure regulator.Cook on high heat.When steam passes through steam vent,reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes,ensuring a steady steam vent.
• Place pressure regulator in position.Bring to full pressure on high heat.Reduce heat and cook for 50 minutes.
• Close the flame.Let it cool.
• Open cooker.Take out mold and remove foil.Take out pudding with help of a knife and keep on a serving dish.
• Pudding is ready.Spread hard sugar around the pudding.Decorate with dry fruits,cherry etc.

Serve hot or cool.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Quick Breakfast:Egg Roti

         While living alone at another city for some time my husband developed "quick to make"recipes.One of his favourite is Egg Roti which he makes with left over Rotis,a short cut snack.He feels pleasure in sharing the same with me as well as my blog brethren.

Ingredients:

• Eggs  2
• Roti [left over or fresh]  4
• Onion  1 medium
• Green coriander leaves  1 small bunch
• Green chili  2-3 pieces
• Ginger [grated]  1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder  1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste.
• Refined oil  4 tsp

Serves: 2

Method:

• Beat the eggs in a bowl.Mix salt & garam masala and beat well again.

• Chop finely the onion,green chillies and coriander leaves.
• Mix these and grated ginger into beaten eggs. Whisk this mixture quite well.
• In case of left over rotis,warm them on a pan.
• Now Heat the pan on high flame,spread 1 tsp of oil in size of a roti.Heat for 2 seconds.
• Pour 1/4th of egg mixture with a table spoon on the pan,spread it in size of roti.Let it cook till it becomes golden brown.
• Paste a roti on it and press lightly with spoon on different parts of the roti.
• Now flip and let the base cook for some time.
• Remove it from pan.
• Repeat the process with the rest of items.
• 
  

Eat or serve hot with chili sauce [ or,with tomato sauce if you like less spicy].

Masala Chicken [Spicy Chicken]

Now a recipe developed by my husband while living alone for some time in another city in connection with his job.He used to cook himself and never outsourced it to any body else.At the same time,he used to be short of time but his cooking hobby made him to modify the usual methods of popular dishes to cut it short.Well have a look and enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

• Chicken pieces  500 gm 
• Dry garam masala  2tbsp
• Red chili  2 pieces
• Red chili powder  1 tsp
• Turmeric powder  1 tsp
• Kashmiri chili powder  1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Onion  6 medium size
• Garlic cloves  5 
• Ginger  1 small
• Green coriander leaves  1 small bunch
• Green chili 5-6 pieces
• Lemon juice 2 tbsp
• Curd 1 cup
• Refined oil

 Preparation: 

• Wash the chicken pieces and make cuts on it.
• Mix 1/2 tsp of salt & lemon juice with it and leave aside for 15 minutes
• Chop the onions.
• Chop finely the coriander leaves & ginger.
• Crush garlic cloves.
• Chop green chillies lengthwise.

 Serves:  5 

Method:

• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Fry bay leaves for a few seconds,then add black pepper corn,green cardamom,black cardamom,red chili and javitri.Fry for a few seconds.
• Add onion pieces and crushed garlic cloves,mix and fry till golden brown.
• Add salt,ginger,turmeric powder and dry garam masala.Mix well.
• Add chicken pieces.Mix till every piece is well wrapped.
• Saute well till the colour of chicken changes.Keep stirring.
• When water,discharged by chicken,evaporates,add curd 7 mix well.
• When oil starts oozing in the pan and chicken becomes tender,add 2 cup of water.
• Cover the pan and cook on low temperature for about 10 minutes.
• Saute after 5 minutes.Check if chicken is cooked.
• It must be having small quantity of gravy,If found extra,cook for a few more minutes on low flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chillies.
Enjoy hot.

Fish Fry

      

            The fish is very popular for its taste and its lightness.There are various methods to cook it to get varied taste.Similarly state of Kerala is well known for unique fish recipes.A Keralite friend of my daughter offered so tasty fish dish that we still feel its taste.That method has been slightly modified with north Indian touch.Hope this will go well with food lovers.

  Ingredients

• Fish fillets [single bone]  500 gm
• Coriander powder  3-4 tsp
• Red chili powder  1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder  1 tsp
• Mango powder  1 tsp
• Dry garam masala 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds  1 tsp
• Curry leaves  4-6
• Lemon  1
• Salt to taste
• Refined/vegetable oil  2 tbsp

Preparation:

   1.Wash the fish with plain water,then with hing.Now wash with wheat flour and water.

To marinate,mix salt and lemon juice with fish fillets.Keep for about 30 minutes.

Drain water from fish mixture.

   2.Now make a thick paste of all the ingredients,above mentioned and mix with fish.Leave it for 1/2 hour.

Method

• Heat vegetable/refined oil [1 tsp] in a non stick fry pan on high flame.Once hot,lower the flame.

• Add half of mustard seeds n curry leaves,fry for a few seconds.

• Now fry 3-4 pieces of fish,at a time on low flame..

• Fry on one side for 5-6 minutes,then change sides.If necessary,change sids again.

• Ensure the fish is not burnt and well cooked on both sides.

• Enjoy the Fish Fry as a snack,or,with rumali roti,rice & dal.