Monday, February 19, 2007

Quick-fried Shrimp


I saw this recipe in a book and found the recipe to be interesting... We decided to try it out for a pot luck get together and every one loved it.. Its a very easy recipe and just took few moments for us to cook this wonderful appetizer.

Ingredients:
Cooked and peeled shrimp - 1 pound
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric pwd - 1 tsp
Black mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Ghee or butter - 4 tbsp
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper - as per taste
Chopped fresh coriander
Method:

Even though the shrimp were de-veined, I prefer to clean the shrimp and also look through it to see if any shrimp has any vein in it.
Pat dry the shrimp
Put ginger garlic paste, chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, mustard seeds in a bowl.
Heat wok until hot and add ghee or butter and swirl it around until foaming.
Add the marinated shrimp and stir fry till the water released evaporates. Over cooked shrimp taste rubbery, so make sure u don't over cook it. If little bit water is left, let it be.
Add coconut milk and let it simmer for some more time.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle coriander.
And you have just finished making a fabulous finger food :)

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

kolumbi fry

I finally found my kolumbi fry recipe. If anybody has been following my blog, I had earlier written about my quest for this recipe I had tried. Read here for details if you havn't read it before. Yesterday I got a great deal for shrimp at my local grocery store and my craving for that recipe came back. So I googled and googled and googled some more.. Tried all sorts of search string.. kolambi fry, shrimp masala, manglorean shrimp fry, shrimp fry, shrimp snack, marvan shrimp fry, marvan shrimp curry, dry shrimp masala.. no success! Then I thought I should include some of the ingredients in my search and sure indeed I hit jackpot!! I remembered that my recipe used only dry spices and one of the spices was Asafoetida. Searching "shrimp kolambi asafoetida" got me my page!! Here is the link to the recipe and just in case I can't find this site again I have written out the recipe too. I will definitely try this recipe tonight and post a picture.


Ingredients:
20 Big Prawns (shelled,deveined )
1 tbsp Garlic paste 2 tbspn oil
2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Turmeric poder
1 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
salt
serves 4

Method
Heat oil in pan.
Add tumeric and hing.
Stir for second and add prawns.
Stir for about 2 minutes.
Add chilli powder Garam Masala and salt to taste.
Stir and add water.
Cook for 5-7 minutes on low flame

Chicken Chettinaad

Ingredients:
  • Chicken
  • Onions - Chopped
  • Tomatoes - Chopped
  • Whole red chilly - 4 stalks
  • Whole black pepper - 10 seeds
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  • Grated coconut – ½ cup
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
  • Green cardamom – 3-4
  • Cloves – 3-4
  • Cinnamon sticks - 1
  • Aniseeds – 1 tsp
  • Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
  • Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves - 4/5
  • Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method:
  • Clean the chicken and cut into small pieces
  • Chop onions and tomatoes and keep aside
  • Roast –
    Whole red chillies - 4 stalks
    Whole pepper – 10 seeds
    Grated coconut – ½ cup
    Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
    Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
    Green cardamom – 3-4
    Cloves – 3-4
    Cinnamon sticks - 1
    Aniseeds – 1 tsp
  • Soak 1 tsp Poppy seeds in water for few minutes
  • Grind the roasted ingredients, poppy seeds with ginger garlic paste
  • Heat oil in a kadai
  • Add curry leaves and the grounded paste
  • Add tomatoes, red chilly powder and turmeric
  • Add chicken and let it cook
  • Add a little water as and when required
  • Add lemon juice at the end


Wednesday, November 29, 2006

mutton rogan josh, keema matar

its rough ..have to fare it
mutton rogan josh
ingredients--- mutton-500gms
fat-30 gms, onions-155 gms
ginger-15 gms, garlic, 5 gms, turmeric 1 tea spn, coriander pwdr- 15 gms
red chilli pwdr-10 gms, tomatoes 155gms , salt to taste, garam masala, green coriander leaves
method.-----cut mutton into small pieces, grind masala to a fine paste, heat fat and brown sliced onions, add ground masala.
cook till masala leaves fat seperate.
add tomatoes, cook for few minutes,add mutton and cook till mutton is tender... then sprinkle garam masala, coriander leaves.

keema matar

ingredients---- minced mutton 1/2kg, peas-1/2kg, red chilli 115 gms, tomatoes 10 gms, garlic 5 gms, garam masala 5 gms, ghee 115 gms, salt to taste, coriander powder-5 gms, turmeric powder 5 gms, oniions 115 gms
method---- prepare ordinary gravy out of onins, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander pwdr, and turmeric. (add all these ingridients in hot oil or ghee and fry it)
then add keema and matar and cook it for 20 min , sprinkle water as and when required, when it becomes tender serve hot

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest

ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"


PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Chicken Teriyaki

This is one of Suren's favourite dishes. It came out really well.. Next time I just have to make sure I make the sauce less thick.


8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 5 ounces each), trimmed, boned, and skin slashed
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons mirin
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Position oven rack about 8 inches from heat source; heat broiler. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set thighs skin side up on broiler pan (or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet fitted with flat wire rack), tucking exposed meat under skin and lightly flattening thighs to be of relatively even thickness (see illustration 6). Broil until skin is crisp and golden brown and thickest parts of thighs register 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 8 to 14 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time for even browning.

While chicken cooks, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in small saucepan; stir together mirin and cornstarch in small bowl until no lumps remain, then stir mirin mixture into saucepan. Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 3/4 cup and forms syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes. Cover to keep warm.

Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 2 to 3 minutes. Cut meat crosswise into 1/2-inch- wide strips. Transfer chicken to serving platter; stir teriyaki sauce to recombine, then drizzle to taste over chicken. Serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Frittata

I saw this recipe in America's Test Kitchen on the Create channel. Just made it as soon as I saw it on TV. I am gonna go and eat this and will post on how it tastes.. Meanwhile this is how it came out!



Ingrediants:

12 large eggs
3 tablespoons half-and-half Table salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound asparagus , trimmed of tough ends, spears cut on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
4 ounces deli-style baked ham , 1/4-inch-thick, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)
3 ounces Gruyère cheese , cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)

Method:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element; heat broiler. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Set eggs aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering; add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add shallot and ham and cook until shallot softens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir Gruyère into eggs; add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form and spatula begins to leave wake but eggs are still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.

Slide skillet under broiler and broil until frittata has risen and surface is puffed and spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes; when cut into with paring knife, eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking; using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto platter or cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.