Fish Manchurian

Earlier, authentic dishes like Luqmi-Kawab, Mirchi Ka Salan, Kacche Gosht ki Biryani and desserts/meetha like Double ka Meetha and Gajar ka Halwa were a sure sight at any Hyderabadi wedding on the dinner tables. With passing time and generations, this has changed. A modern take on several authentic dishes and innovative techniques to present them is todays mantra. Among them, ‘Apollo fish’ is a seafood manchurian type of dish that is getting very popular nowadays, which more and more Bawarchis are prefering to include in the menus, and quite liked my common.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

The below recipe is my imitation of ‘Apollo Fish’. I do not know why is it called particularly as ‘Apollo’ fish, but I sure am among those ardent lovers of this Hyderabadi seafood dish. Your friends will definitely enjoy this very light and tangy platter of fish.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

Ingredients:

• Gram flour/Besan - 4 tbsp
• All Purpose flour/Maida – 2 tbsp
• Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Roasted Coriander powder – 1/4 tsp
• Roasted Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Water - 1 tsp
• Egg – 1, large
• Any firm boneless fish fillets (I prefer Bass/Salmon) – 500 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
• Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Fresh Curry leaves – about 20
• Green, Yellow, Orange and Red bell peppers – 1/2 cup, cut into strips
• Soya Sauce – 3 tbsp
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
• Mint and Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp each, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

• In a bowl add the first 9 ingredients and mix them well to make a thick batter. Add the fish cubes and gently mix with a spoon so that each piece gets completely covered with the batter.
• Add a few drops of oil to a large non-stick frying pan at medium low heat and as soon as it gets warm, add the fish cubes in a single layer. Shallow fry them till they are golden brown on each side. Repeat until all the fish cibes are done. Remove in a platter and keep aside.
• In the same frying pan, add oil and throw in the ginger garlic paste. Stir fry it till it is golden brown. Add the curry leaves and peppers. Saute it for 2 minutes. Pour in the soya sauce and add the fried fish cubes. With a rubber spatula, gently mix them all. Cover the lid and let cook for 2-4 minutes.
• Add lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves and serve warm immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the manchurian along with roti, rice or as a snack.

Cheers,
Mona

Qaeema Aloo Matar

The weather has not been good at all. Been playing games with us since the temperatures actually started to be in the two digits. Its has suddenly become so very hot, this being just the Spring in Canada and not Summer yet. Weather has been too topsy-turvy for the past two to three weeks, resulting in me catching Flu. It was terrible. Now I feel alright and thank my God for the good health again. It sure is a precious bounty-Good health.

I have not even been cooking since the past few days, but yesterday as I began to feel alright, I prepared Qaeema Matar Aloo and had it with some warm Phulkas. It was so good. Good home cooked food is always very comforting and gives solace.  

 

Qaeema Aloo Matar – Ground meat with Peas and Potatoes Curry 

For this recipe, you can use the ground meat of Veal, Lamb or Goat, whatever is available. It turns out equally delicious and I have tried this recipe with all the above mentioned meats.

Qaeema Aloo Matar – Ground meat with Peas and Potatoes Curry

Ingredients:

For Gravy:

• Canola/Sunflower Oil – 4 tbsp
• Yellow Onion/Pyaz – 3 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato – 1, large, chopped
• Red Chilli Powder/Lalmirch Powder - 1 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Potato – 2, medium, peeled and quartered
• Tomato Ketchup – 2-3 tbsp (I use Heinz) OR Tomato Chilli Sauce – 2-3 tbsp

To Cook Qaeema/Ground Meat:

• Canola Oil/Sunflower Oil – 2 tbsp
• Qaeema/Ground Lamb/Veal/Goat meat – 700 gms, washed and drained
• Turmeric Powder/Haldi – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 2 tsp
• Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp
• Lemon Juice – 4 tbsp
• Matar/Frozen peas – 1/2 to 1/4 cup
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese - 4 tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Pour 2 tbsp oil into a non-stick heavy bottomed sauce pan at medium high heat and throw in the finely chopped onions as soon as the oil warms up. Keep stirring them until they are lightly browned.
• Add the chopped tomato, red chilli powder and salt and mix well. Let it cook until its mushy.
• Add the quarted potatoes and a little water and close lid for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
• In an another saucepan, pour the rest of the oil, and add the freshly washed ground meat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to break lumps and add turmeric powder, garam masala, soya sauce, lemonjuice amd keep stirring until the water starts evaporating and the raw smell of the meat wards off.
• Pour in the reserved gravy of tomato onions and potato and mix the whole thing together. Let cook on low heat and when the water has almost evaporated, add frozen peas and give it a stir.
• Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, and serve hot.

Suggested Accompaniments:Serve it hot with Basmati Chawal / Naan/ Afghani Roti, along with a dollop of butter.

Tip: Leftovers? Use up this left over curry as the filling for Samosa for some very delicious Snacks.

Luv,
Mona

Hyderabadi Khushka (Basmati Chawal) and Chicken 65

Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is one dish which is most loved by almost everyone. I do not know why it is called so. I believe every one of us has a variation to this recipe and we all make it our own way. In my family alone, everyone has their own version of this dish. Today i am writing about my way of preparing this yummy chicken dish. This dish one among those when i want to whip up a whole meal in less than an hour time. Gets prepared quite soon and is simply delicious.

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 2 tsp 
Chicken – 500 gms
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Cornflour – 1 tbsp
Turmeric – 1/3 tsp
Soya sauce - 1 1/2 tbsp
Yogurt – 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves(fresh/dried) – 5-6
Salt – to taste
Black Pepper powder – 1/3 tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Chicken Stock – 1 cup
Yellow Onion – 1, finely chopped
Green chillies – 5, cut into strips

Method:

-Marinate chicken in lemon juice, turmeric, yogurt, soya sauce, ginger garlic paste and salt for about 30 minutes.
-Shallow fry the chicken in oil till done. Drain and remove the chicken in a bowl.
-Again in the same pan, add a lil more oil, add the chopped onion, curry leaves and chillies. Fry over high heat for 2-5 minutes.
-Add cornflour, stock, black pepper powder and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add the chicken along with all the juices and let it cook till it is dry. Serve hot.

Hyderabadi Khushka and Chicken 65

Khushka – Basmati Chawal

Khushka is Plain Boiled Rice. The word Khushka comes from the term ‘Khushk‘ in Urdu, which means Dry, or Plain. Khushka is the staple food in my house, and it is so in most Hyderabadi households. It is prepared almost everyday. We have it along with curries. Parathas, Phulkas, or Khushka is either has with a dry curry, a Sukha Salan or a gravy curry with a watery consistency, Patla Salan. Khushka is also called as Saada Chawal in some households, which means Plain Rice. It is lightly salted and crained. The procedure is very simple, and it is as the name says about it, a plain basic rice which can be had along with any side dish.

Having this Rice while it is warm is so comforting, but if wish to serve it later and want to prepare it ahead of time, just microwave reheat it for 1 or 2 minutes adding a few drops of water to it. You can store it in a microwave safe bowl for easy reheating in a refrigerator for upto a week. It stays good and is as good as fresh when reheated in a microwave just before having it.

Ingredients:

Long grained white rice – 2 cups 
Water - 9 cups
Salt – 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the rice well and soak it in 4 cups of water for about 30 minutes.
Drain the rice and keep aside.
In a large saucepan, boil the remaining 5 cups of water and as soon as it comes to a boil, drop in the reserved soaked and drained rice. Also add the salt. 
Let it boil at medium high heat till the rice grains are all done. Take a few grains with a slotted spoon in your fingers and press them to check if they are done.
Once all the grains are done, and are just soft, drain the rice and put it back into the saucepan. Clean the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula and level the rice properly. Cover with a lid, and put it on dum (till a nice steam has been formed) on the hot cooktop.
Serve it hot, or you can even have it later.

I am so happy to recieve the Nice Matters Award from the beautiful sisters Zainab and Hameeda, of Arabic Bites.

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!

 

Thank You Guys, This is my very first Award, and i’m delighted to recieve it. If i would not have to send it to only a few of the selected bloggers, i would have sent this award to each and every blogger in the blogging world, as each one of us are so dedicated to our love of sharing our knowledge across places. However i had to cut short the list, so, I choose to pass on this Award to Asha, Amna, Lubna, Daagh, Sailaja, Indira, Priya, Jai and Bee, Meena, Nabeela, Rahin, Seena and MJ. Everyone of you all bloggers are deserving for this award and very nice.

Luv,
Mona

Gobi-Mirch Jalfrezi

Jalfrezi is a type of Indian curry in which marinated pieces of meat or vegetables are fried in oil or spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. It is cooked with green chillies, with the result that the jalfrezi can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one. Other main ingredients include Peppers, Onions and Tomatoes. – Wikipedia

It was a bright day today, got to see sun and sunshine peeking through the heavy dark clouds for a little longer time after quite an extended period. That made me very happy and cheerful. I wanted to cook something special today,  vegetarian meal.. and I quickly thought of this dish.

This is my lovely little sister’s recipe. Its a brisk recipe which gets prepared in a jiffy. I searched for the ingredients in my refrigerator and I had all those, so I prepared and had this Curry/Salan along with Zeera Rice/Baghara Chawal and Khatti Dal. It was a filling and we enjoyed it. 

Gobi-Mirch Jalfrezi - Cauliflower and Capsicum in a Tangy Sauce 

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower/Phul Gobi – 1, large, washed and cut into florets
• Red and Green Capsicums/Shimla Mirch – 1 each, de-seeded, cut into bite-size strips
• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Yellow Onion/Pyaz – 2, large, sliced thin
• Soya Sauce – 4 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Red Chilli Powder – 1/3 tsp (optional)
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Tomato Paste – 2 heaped tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Nigella Seeds/Kalaunji – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, and throw in the Cumin seeds and Kalaunji. As soon as they start to splutter add the Onions and saute them till they are lightly browned.
• Add the Tomato paste, Garam masala, Salt and Red Chilli powder and mix well. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the Cauliflower florets and stir fry them in the sauce for 3-5 minutes.
• Later add the Capsicum strips, Soya sauce, and a little water and stir to mix. Cover the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes taking care the curry isnt becoming too dry or getting burnt. Keep giving it a gentle stir every now and then. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: We had it along with Zeera Rice/Baghara Chawal and Khatti Dal for a delicious meal.

Grilled Sweet Chilli Chicken

It’s Sunday, and my family wishes for something different, to celebrate our weekend and treat our stomach to its cravings. So after the breakfast, I was searching for inspiration. At moments like these, I usually get stuck to my fav cook books or get hooked to my ibook and sit browsing and searching for recipes, sites that help me out, now for my lunch, a weekend lunch. It took some time, but eventually I found this recipe online, i usually do not prepare these kind of recipes, infact I never did. My chicken is almost always with some or the other spices, or masalas. But this didnt have any. I thought to give it a try and went ot my kitchen. I modified it in my own way, adding what I love and felt would go well, marinated my chicken for three hours and sat watching ‘Finding Nemo‘ with my Hubby. Yes, I hadnt seen it and was asking him to get the DVD, and today I was able to. The movie was lovely, love animation a lot, and after that it was time for the chicken to go into our systems. It was already Lunch time. It took around an hour for the chicken to cook perfectly, and when I served my grilled chicken with rice and a side dish, it was a hit with my family. Everyone loved the sweet taste and the light chilli touch to it. Here’s the recipe, try it out and enjoy guys.

Ingredients:

• Chicken drumsticks/Chicken wings – 8 pieces
• Butter – 6 tbsp
• Soy sauce – 3 tbsp
• Honey – 2 tbsp
• Maggi Chilli Sauce – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Vinegar – 1 tbsp
• Ginger-Garlic Paste – 3 tsp
• Crushed chili flakes – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
• BBQ Sauce- for basting

Method:

• If you are planning to grill your chicken indoors in your oven, take a roasting pan with higher walls and line it on the base with aluminium foil folded twice. And if you have an outdoor gas or charcoal grill its all the more better.
• Make small slit marks on the chicken drumsticks or chicken wings, whatever you plan to prepare for the day.
• Mix all the ingredients well and coat the chicken the chicken with it. Let it refrigerate for 3 hours preferably. Let the chicken come back to room temperature again just before when you begin to grill it.
• Pour all the contents of the marinate with the chicken in the roasting pan if using an indoor grill oven, or place the individual marinated chicken on the charcoal or gas grill and begin grilling it. Remember to keep the grill temperature on low heat so that the chicken cooks properly.
• Let it grill for an hour time, until it is thoroughly cooked. Keep turning and basting the drumsticks with any of your favourite BBQ sauce.
• Griil it until it is perfectly cooked, and make sure you do not burn it. You can test if it is nicely cooked by piercing it with a fork at the thickest portion of the drumstick. Once done, Serve it hot.

 

Chilli Sauce

Hot chutneys and sauces are a hit in India, and go very well with especially pakodas. I love to have this sauce with paratha and masoor dal/ split red lentil curry. Yummy. You can have this dipping sauce along with anything you want to add spice to. Enjoy.

Ingredients:-

• Green chillies – 30, small sized
• Garlic powder – 1 tbsp
• Sugar – 3 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 3 tbsp
• Vinegar – 4 tbsp
• Soy Sauce – 1 tbsp

Method:-

• Combine all the ingredients and grind them into a fine paste.
• Remove into a small bowl and add Soy Sauce to it.
• Mix the paste well and pour it in a sterlised bottle. Store refrigerated for upto 1 month.

 

Pan Grilled Chicken Breast with Mustard

Chicken Breasts are one the most easiest cooking meat with very amount of fat in it and are good for heath for their protein content. I have pan grilled the chicken breast pieces in this recipe. One of the best things man has made for an easier life is a stove top grill pan. I’ve a stove with a ceramic stove top. And i also love to grill food, Oh! those grilled marks appear invite me to eat that tasty food. These grill pans for ceramic stove tops are great. Going out, igniting the charcoal, i find is laborious and cannot be done everytime your tummy calls for grilled food. My hubby bought one stove top grill pan for me recently and i love grilling food on that. For instance, you can buy one from Ikea here, or anywhere. Yeah it needs care, like eveything in this world. Well, go ahead, buy a stove pan grill pan, and try out this recipe. Enjoy.Ingredients:

• Boneless and skinless chicken breasts – 4 pieces
• Fresh orange juice – 1 cup
• Chicken Stock - 1/2 cup
• Wholegrain mustard sauce - 1/2 cup
• Honey – 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
• Ground black pepper – 1 tbsp
• Ground nutmeg – 1/2 tsp
• Ground cloves – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• In a heavy sauce pan, mix together orange juice, bourbon, whole grain musturd, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil for 1 minute and then reduce to simmer.
• One substitution for bourbon, if you do not have it in your house is, for 1 tbsp of bourbon, add 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of water.
• Add cloves and nutmeg to the saucepan.
• Continue to cook till the sauce is dark and thick for 10 minutes more and then it completely.
• In a resealable plastic bag use half of the sauce and coat the chicken with it. Sprinkle black pepper powder over it and refrigerate it for 1 hour preferably.
• Preheat the stove top grill pan to slightly more than medium high and coat it with a non stick cooking spray.
• Grill chicken, 10 minutes on each side, until it is browned well. The grilling time varies, take care not to over cook the chicken make the tissue tough and hard. Let the juices run clear and it is soft enough.
• Serve it hot with any of your favourite vegetables or potatoes.