Flavors from my kitchen

They say that one way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well – in the case of my husband, its through fish curry! He loves this dish so much that I have made it a gazillion times – so much so that I am actually quite sick of it! But to give him due credit, this is a particularly delicious curry that combines the taste of whole spices with tamarind and coconut to give it an oh so heavenly taste making it the perfect Friday afternoon lunch:-)

Ingredients
250 gms fish (I use boneless kingfish or hammour but sear or pomfret will work just as well)
For grinding:
4 tbsps grated coconut
1 big onion
6 black peppercorns
6 dried red chillies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
6 cloves garlic
10 curry leaves
1 big tomato
1 tsp tamarind paste

Method
Wash and clean the fish and cut into medium sized pieces.
Dry roast the coconut in a kadai. Remove and keep aside.
In the same kadai, dry roast the pepper corns, coriander seeds and red chillies to release their aromas.
Remove the skin from the onion, insert a knife into it and roast it over the fire till it browns.
Now grind the cocount, the roasted onion, red chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, curry leaves and tomato to a fine paste and keep aside.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add 1/2 a tsp of mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
Then add the ground masala paste and fry till the masala is well blended and the oil rises to the top.
Add the tamarind paste and 3 cups of water.
Cover and let it simmer on a low heat till the masala is cooked and becomes thick.
Add the fish pieces and simmer for just 5-7 minutes.
Serve with hot, steaming white rice.

Tandoori chicken is one of those classic Indian foods that has been around since the Mughlai period and today, it is loved by people the world over. This recipe is one that is easy to make as it can be grilled on a griddle plate or in the oven.

Ingredients
About 8 medium size pieces of chicken (a mix of legs and breast)
About half a cup of yogurt
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust spice levels according to personal preference)
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp dhaniya (coriander) powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1-2 tbps vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Method
Score the chicken pieces gently. This helps the marinade seep into the chicken and flavor it well.
In a large bowl, add the chicken.
Then add all the spice powders, ginger garlic paste and yogurt.
Now add the vegetable oil and salt. Mix well. (The oil helps the cooking process of the chicken and keeps it moist.
Leave the chicken to marinate in this creamy mixture for at least 2 hours in the fridge – overnight is even better.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and bring it down to room temperature before grilling it.
When its ready to be cooked, brush a griddle pan with a little bit of oil and place on medium heat. Make sure the pan is not too hot as that will burn the outside of the chicken and leave the insides uncooked – and that’s not appetising at all!
Place the chicken pieces on the pan and cook on each side till browned and cooked. You can brush the extra marinade on the chicken while its cooking.
If making in the oven, place the chicken on a foil lined baking tray and grill till brown on all sides and cooked. Brush oil while grilling in the oven, as otherwise the chicken tends to dry out.
Grilled, moist chicken = a whole lot of yumminess!
Serve with lemon wedges, sliced onions and tomatos. Enjoy!

I had some mince in my freezer that needed to be used so I decided to make cutlets as it had been a while. Its a bit of a tedious process but the end result – and taste is totally worth it! You should use either beef or lamb/mutton mince for this recipe. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients:
500-600 gms meat mince
3 medium sized potatos
2 big onions
Half a bunch of fresh coriander and mint leaves
6 cloves of garlic
6 green chillies
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
2 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp worstershire sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

For coating
1 beaten egg
Breadcrumbs

Method
Pressure cook the potatos whole for about 10-15 minutes. Once done, peel skins and mash while hot. Add salt and keep aside.
Chop finely the onions, garlic, green chillies, coriander and mint leaves.
Then in a medium sized vessel, heat the oil.
Add the onion and fry till translucent. Then add the garlic, green chillies and spice powders and fry till the oil comes on top. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.
Now add the mince and chopped herbs and mix well.
To this mixture, add the sauces (ketchup, soy, vinegar and worster) and mix well.
Add a pinch of salt (be careful not to add too much of salt as sauces such as soy and worster are already salty)
Cover and let the mince cook in its own juices for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the mince is cooked, open and dry it up of any liquid completely.
Important note here: Make sure to dry up the mince fully if not you will end up with soggy cutlets.
Once done, keep the mince aside to cool fully.
When the mince is fully cooled, add the mashed potato mixture to it. The potato helps hold the mixture together to form firm shapes.
Using the rounds of your palms, make small round balls with the mixture, then flatten and keep aside.

Dip the cutlets into the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs and its ready to be shallow fried. Serve with a fresh lettuce and tomato salad.

Note: These cutlets can be made and frozen. However, if freezing do not coat in egg and breadcrumbs. This should be done just before frying the cutlets.