Chepala pulusu (Fish curry)

My kids love seafood a lot. When we moved from bangalore to mumbai, i was so excited to visit the fish market and was not disappointed at all. I went to the market in malad which is quite big and all kinds of fish is available. The difference from bangalore is definitely the rates and of course the fish was a lot more fresh. The fish are mostly stored in handfuls and not weighed. A handful of jumbo prawns weighing approximately a kg cost only 350. I enjoyed visiting this market. I came back with prawns and 2 seer fish.

I usually prepare only fry out of seer fish, but since there was a lot of it, i prepared curry as well this time.

CHEPALA PULUSU (FISH CURRY) :



Ingredients:

1 kg seer fish (sliced)
2 medium onions
1 big pod of garlic (peeled)
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of turmeric
curry leaves
1 big lemon sized tamarind (soaked and the juice extracted)
coconut milk (optional)
coriander leaves (for garnish)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed wide dish. Add garlic, fry well.
2. Add onions and fry well till golden brown, add the curry leaves.
3. Now add chilli powder, turmeric, dhania powder, salt.
4. Mix well and add tamarind extract, add some water and let it boil.Add the coconut milk at this stage if required.
5. Once the curry starts to boil, add the fish slices and let it cook for 5-6 minutes, till the fish is cooked.
6. Add the coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Goes well with idli, dosa and rice.

Bansi Rava upma (lapsi upma)

A very nutritious and tasty dish containing vegetables and fine broken wheat which is healthy and good for people who are on diet. I make this once in 15 days atleast, either for breakfast or dinner. Breakfast if i cut the vegetables the previous night, dinner if i cut the vegetables in the afternoon.

BANSI RAVA UPMA:



Ingredients:

1/4 kg rava
1 onion
1 tomato
1 carrot (cut fine)
7 beans (cut fine)
1 handful green peas (frozen or fresh as per availability)
1 capsicum
6 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
a pinch of turmeric
water - twice the measure of rava
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
curry leaves
coriander leaves
1/2 lemon

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add clove and cinnamon stick. Splutter the mustard seeds, add the sliced onion and fry.
2. Once the onion turns translucent, add ginger-garlic paste, fry for a minute and then add curry leaves.
3. Now add the vegetables and fry for a minute. Add salt and turmeric, mix well.
4. Add the rava, mix well, add water and again mix. Now add the finely cut coriander leaves and sqeeze the lemon. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook for a whistle.

Serve with pickle. I prefer this with avakai.

Idli with Chicken stew

Sunday breakfasts, actually brunch, is usually quite heavy since everybody are at home and are in a leisure mood. Of course, cooking the fare is tedious but since i love feeding my family, i enjoy preparing these meals. For me satisfaction is full stomachs, big smile when licking fingers after finishing off a meal.

IDLI AND CHICKEN STEW:



Ingredients for idli:

2 cups steam rice (salem idli rice)
1 cup normal raw rice
1 cup urad dal
a little salt
Ingredients for chicken stew:

1 kg chicken
2 medium potatoes
1/2 cup coconut
6 green chillies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup mint leaves (pudina)
1/4 cup coriander leaves (cut fine)
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
1 onion (sliced thin and long)

Method of preparation (idli):

1. Soak rice and urad dal seperately for 6 hours.
2. First grind the urad dal till it is smooth, then add the rice to it and grind. Let the batter be a little rough.
3. Leave the batter for fermentation overnight, minimum 8 hours. Add salt in the morning.
4. Oil the idli moulds a little and pour the batter and steam the idlis for 15 mins.
Method of preparation (chicken stew):

1. Fry half an onion till brown, take this out and fry half the pudina in the same kadhai.
2. Grind the fried pudina, onion, coconut and chillies into a smooth paste.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker, when the oil heats up add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and let it splutter.
4. Add the other half onion, fry for a minute, add the remaining pudina leaves and fry for a minute.
5. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Now add the chicken pieces, fry well for a minute, then add the potatoes and coriander leaves, mix well.
4. Add turmeric, the ground paste and mix thoroughly. Close the cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Serve with rice, idli, dosa or chapathi. Goes well with anything.

Brinjal Slice fry

The bharta variety brinjal is available in abundance, like i have mentioned in my earlier posts, brinjals are in plenty in mumbai. I bought a big brinjal 2 days back for preparing bharta and this morning when i was looking for vegetables to prepare a side dish, i hit upon this idea or making brinjal slice fry. I make it rarely, simply because of the time it takes for shallow frying.

BRINJAL SLICE FRY:



Ingredients:

1 brinjal (bharta kind)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
4 tbsp oil for shallow frying

Method of preparation:

1. Slice the brinjal thinly and wash it.
2. Make a paste of chili powder, dhania powder, turmeric, salt with a little water and apply it on the slices.
3. Fry this with a little oil on a tava.

Ready to eat.... goes well with everything. My kids eat it as a snack.