Meen Kozhambhu (Fish Curry) - Mom's Recipe

My Mom makes one of the best fish curries that is quite popular amongst my family and friends. Back at my previous work place, my friends would be waiting for the day i bring fish curry. I am not being overly dramatic, just putting it in words.  Choose any good fish suitable for making fish gravy like Koduva, Pomfret, Kala, etc. Vegetarian alternative also possible.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

Fresh Fish 6-8 pieces

Tomato 2 nos

Onion 2 nos

Coriander 1 small bunch chopped

Green Chilli 2 nos

Ginger  1nos

Garlic Cloves 8-10 nos

Tamarind  size of large lemon

Turmeric Powder 1 tsp

Chilli Powder 1 tsp

Curry Chilli Powder  2-3 tsp

Coriander Powder 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp

Urad Dhall 1 tsp

Curry leaves 

Oil 1 cup (2-3 tbsp)

Sea Salt for taste

Preparing the Fish

Clean the fish thoroughly,then rinse it well. Again add sea salt and turmeric and rub it well on the fish, let it rest for 5 mins. Then rinse it with running water, leave the fish in water until you add it to the curry. Always use fish with its bone, else it will break away whilst cooking.

Making the Kozhambhu

Soak the tamarid in 2 cups of warm water for 5 mins. Grind one and half Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Chilli and Coriander to a smooth paste and mix it into the Tamarind mixture. Add turmeric, Coriander powder, Red chilli powder, Curry Chilli powder and salt to the liquid and mix well. Taste for salt and spice. It should be tangy but not overly tangy.  Liquid consistency should neither be thin or thick. Now grind the tomatoes in a mixer and keep it separate.

In a deep bottomed pan or clay pan, add about cup of oil. Crackle mustard seeds and urad dhall in it and add curry leaves to it. Now add half chopped onions and saute it further. Once the onions are translucent add the tomato paste and cook further. Now add the previously prepared tamarind based liquid onto the pan. Check for salt again, you might want to compensate for the tomatoes added.

Bring the mixture to boil and let it simmer further until the gravy starts to thicken. Check for salt and spice.

Now add the fish without water and bring to boil for 5-6 mins, ensure that you don't let it boil too long as the fish would start to breakaway.

For best results, prepare the gravy the previous night and let it sit over night. Reheat and serve it with Idli, Dosa, Bread slices or with Rice.

For Vegetarians

Susbstitute fish with  boiled baby potatoes.

Cauliflower Gravy

Ingredients

Cauliflower  1 Nos (Medium)

Onions 2 nos

Tomato 2 nos

Green Chilly 2 nos

Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli Powder  1tsp

Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp

Cumin (Jeera) Powder 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1/2 tsp

Ginger Paste 1/2 tsp

Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp

Curd 1/2 cup 

Water 2- 3 cups

Oil 1/2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparing the Cauliflower

Cut it into florets and soak it in hot water with salt for 15 -20 mins. This helps to rid them of all the dirt.

Making the Gravy

Heat oil in a pan and add the Cumin seeds to crackle. Use in jeera in moderation, otherwise they could add bitterness to the dish, which i learnt it the hardway. Now add the garam masala, ginger and garlic paste saute it. Add the green chillies slit across their length and add onions cook until the onions turn translucent. Now add the tomatoes and turmeric powder. Saute further and add red chilli powder, coriander powder and jeera powder. 

When the oil begins to separate, add the cauliflower florets and mix well so that the masala is coated well on the florets. Cook for 2 mins and add water and salt and let it cook until the florets turn tender.

Whisk the curd with little bit water, and add it to the pan.  Mix them well, until the curd is blended well and cook for another 2 mins.  Check for taste, if its too spicy or bitter add juice of half a lemon. Garnish with it fresh cut coriander. You could either make it as a dry dish or a semi gravy dish to go with Chappathi, Idly, Dosa or for rice.

Mutton Burger Grilled/Steamed

Ingredients
Mutton steak 200 gms
Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste 1/2 tsp
Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp
Curd 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp
Egg 1 nos
Breadcrumbs 1 tbsp
Onions  1 no chopped
Rock Salt  for taste

Preparation
Ensure that the mutton slab is devoid of any fat tissues, remove them. Score the mutton with a sharp knife and rub rock salt thoroughly. Mix chilli, coriander powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, curd and lemon juice and massage it onto the mutton piece. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Cut the mutton into pieces and place it in a food processor along with onion and grind them.
Into this add egg and mix well, then add breadcrumbs. Make patties out of it and place it in the freezer.

Grilled Patty
Remove the patties from the freezer after an hour or two, heat a griddle and place the patty on it and cook by turning it over every one minute.

Steamed Patty
In a steamer, steam the frozen patty for about 15-20 min till its cooked thoroughly.

Ingredients for Burger
Burger Buns 2 nos (4 slices of bread)
Sliced Onion rings 7-8 nos
Tomato Slices 4 nos

Tomato ketchup 1 tsp
Mayonnaise 2 tsp
English Mustard 1 tsp
Cheese Slices 2 nos


Preparing the Burger
Toast the burger buns or the bread,  spread mayonnaise on the crown of the bun (bread slice), add tomato ketchup and mustard on top of the mayonaisse. Place two tomato slices on top of the sauces. Now place the grilled patty on the other half of the bun/or the other slice of bread, place a slice of cheese  and microwave for 10 secs. Add onion rings on top of it, one could also place the onion rings over the griddle on which the patty was cooked to soften it. Now place the crown on top of the base and serve it with some fries. Prepare the other burger with steamed patty and enjoy.

Pan Fried Mutton Steak

I have always wanted to try cooking a mutton steak on a pan, and the experiment did end in a juicy medallion of mutton.

Ingredients
Mutton steak 200 gms
Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste 1/2 tsp
Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp
Curd 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp
Garlic Cloves 2 Chopped finely
Olive oil 1 tsp
Rock Salt  for taste

Preparing the Steak
Ensure that the mutton slab is devoid of any fat tissues, remove them. Score the mutton with a sharp knife and rub rock salt throtoughly. Mix chilli, coriander powder, garam masla, ginger-garlic paste, curd and lemon juice and massage it onto the mutton piece.  Let it sit in the refrigerator for a good 30 minutes atleast.
In a thick bottomed pan heat the oil and spread it well, add the finely chopped garlic saute to infuse the garlic flavor, then add the  mutton steak. Keep turning it every minute to avoid burning the meat. I prefer the meat to be medium done, so check by poking the meat so that its giving in just a bit. Take the steak off the pan and rest it, so that the juices are all soaked in.
Deglaze the pan with water  add a bit of flour and make a sauce out of it. Cook further to reduce the sauce and add it on top of the steak.
Serve it with boiled vegetables

Quick and Easy Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a definite no-no for me at restaurants, mainly because till date I have had tomato soup so divine only twice, one was at the restaurant in Lemon Tree - Allepey and the other one at Dine - Escape Cinemas.  Most of the places serve a ketchupy soup, or to thin and runny tomato water, and I have been to a fair share of restaurants.

This recipe is drawn from Sanjeev Kapoor’s show,the difference being the use of Maggi veg stock cubes that I have incorporated and lack of celery and bayleaf.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

Tomatoes (ofcourse) 4-6 nos

Onions 1 nos (medium  size or 2 small ones)

Carrot  ½  sliced

Maggi soup cube 1 nos

Bayleaf 1 no

Pepper Corns  6-8

Ground Pepper  ½ tsp

Garlic chopped 3 cloves

Water  1 ltr

Rice 2 tbsp (for thick soup)

Oil 1-2 tbsp

Salt to Taste

Making the Soup

Heat the oil on a pan and add garlic, bayleaf. Sauté,then add onions and carrots  to the pan. Now add tomatoes, pepper corns and cook further. Now add about ½ litre of water along with the maggi stock cube. Let it cook for about 10 - 15 mins, then strain it through a sieve, collect the stock and set aside. Now put the contents in the strainer into a food processor add the rest of the water to cool it and grind. Now add the contents back into the pan, add the stock, pepper powder and salt. Bring it to boil and again strain the contents through the sieve, ensure the sieve is pressed well to extract all the liquid. Again bring it to boil and serve hot with Croutons.

To thicken the soup you could add rice while cooking the vegetables or add cream just before serving the soup.

One could add more water to thin down the soup a bit.

Preparing the Croutons

Slice the bread into small pieces, heat a pan with olive oil and add the bread pieces. Keep tossing them till they turn golden brown.

Add Ons : You could also add pumpkin pieces (skinned and deseeded) while cooking to add more flavor

Murungakeerai Bassaru

Having lived in Bangalore (Bengaluru) for about 25 odd years my mom is quite familiar with the cuisine. This one comes right from there. 

Murungakeerai Basaaru

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

Drumstick leaves  two handfuls of leaves or one large cup ( make sure to use only the leaves) rinse them in cold water to rid of dirt.

Onions  2 nos (medium sized)

Tomatoes 2  nos (chopped medium sized)

Garlic 2 nos (whole bulbs)

Coconut  1 piece (wedge of lemon size)

Asafoetida  1/4 tsp (perungayam)

Tamarind juice 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds  2 tsp

Dried whole chilly  1 no

Urad daal 2 tsp

Chilli Powder ½ tsp

Curry Chilli Powder 1 tsp

Water 2 cups

Turmeric Powder  1 pinch

Oil 3-4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparing Tamarind Juice

Take tamarind about the size of table tennis ball, soak in half cup of warm water with half spoon of salt for five minutes. Squeeze the pulp out and take the juice alone.

Preparing Garlic and Onion Paste                

Now burn the garlic bulbs and 1 ½ onion (without peeling) over the stove till they are roasted. Grind them with coconut with a wee bit of water to make them into a paste.

Preparing the Basaaru

Take a small pressure cooker, add oil to it and when its hot enough add the mustard seeds, dried chilli (cut into 2 pieces) and urad daal. Then add half onion chopped and the tomatoes, saute it until the onions turn translucent. Add the asafoetida powder and sauté it further. Now add the rinsed leaves and saute until the leaves are cooked. Add the chilli powder, curry chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric powder and 1tsp of salt. Cook until the raw chilli smell goes away. Then add the tamarind juice and the burnt onion, garlic paste, add a cup of water. Close the lid and put the pressure weight on, wait for one whistle and turn it off.

Serve it hot with white rice/ ragi balls and accompany with appalam.

Mush(y)room Masala

I love to cook not always but randomly just like that.  Mom had prepared Chapati for  Dinner and as accompaniment made Onion and Tomato gravy (thakkali chutney). So i planned to meddle with the same. And Voila my very own Mushyroom masala was invented. 

Ingredients

Mushrooms  10-12 big ones medium sliced

Onions 2 nos diced

Ripe tomatoes 2 nos diced

Red Chilli Powder 1 teaspoon

Curry Chilli Powder 1 teaspoon

Sugar 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves

Mustard seeds

Oil (sunflower oil)2-3 tablespoon

Olive oil 2-4 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Tomato sauce (ketchup would do)

Aloo mash  ( readily available dessicated potato)  mainly to thicken the gravy

Cream or beaten Curd about 1 cup (200ml)

Tomato and Onion Gravy (Mother’s Recipe)

Heat oil in a deep pan(kadai) and fry curry leaves and mustard seeds, then add the diced onions and tomatoes and cook until the onions turn translucent. Add a pinch of turmeric, followed by  half teaspoon each of red chilli powder  and curry chilli powder. Add salt and half a cup of water, cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add half tsp of sugar and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes and let it rest.

Mushroom Masala ( Yours Truly)

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the mushrooms to it, fry the mushrooms until they reduce in size. Add diced green chillis and fry. Then add half teaspoon each of red chilli and curry chilli powder, sauté until the raw chilli smell fades away, add salt to taste. Now, add the tomato and onion gravy to the pan and add about 2-3 tablespoon of tomato sauce.  Mix and simmer until the oil starts to separate, then add a cup of beaten curd. Simmer for further 2-3 minutes, taste for salt. Now add aloo mash as per your requirement to make it from a semi gravy to dry dish. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with Chappati or Roti, could be used to make Masala Dosa or as masala in Sandwich.