Baked Fish

Finally managed to bake fish satisfactorily. Was inspired after relishing baked fish at an Arabic restaurant, although another version of the same; fish pollichethe is very common in Kerala. The fish we tried at the restaurant was the Nagroor (Silver Grunt) or Karukaruppan in Malayalam . After trying other fishes, realized that the Nagroor turned out best.

Ingredients

1- Fish  - 1 KG
Split open the fish along it's spine lengthwise and spread it flat. You can leave the skin and the scales. Clean it with salt and lemon juice.

Marinade for fish

2- Black Lemon Powder, Cumin, Turmeric, Pepper powder - 1 tspn each
3- Chilly Powder - 2 tbspn
4- Coriander leaves - a bunch
5- Lemon juice - 2 lemons
6-  Olive Oil - 3 tbspn
7- Garlic and ginger - 1 tbspn each

Grind/crush the above and rub it on the fish along with crushed bay leaves. (2 nos). Leave it overnight in the fridge.

For masala

8- Onions - 2 nos. cut finely
9- Tomatoe - 1 nos cut into small pieces
10 - Giner and garlic - finely diced 1 tbspn
11- Garam Masala - 1 tspn
12- Chilly pdr - 1 tspn
13 - Coriander pdr - 1 tspn

Method

Saute the onions along with ginger and garlic. Add the powders and toss for a few seconds and then add the tomato and fry until almost dry.

Place the marinated fish on a tin foil and spread the masala. Close it and bake it for 40 - 50 minutes. Open the foil and grill it until the masala browns.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken

Have tried to cook this dish in many ways and finally decided to stick with this one since it has been whole heartedly approved by the in-house judges J

Ingredients:

1	Raw chicken		500	Grams
2	Coriander leaves	-	1	Springs
3	Oil	-	2	Tablespoons
4	Crushed fenugreek leaves	-	1	Teaspoons
5	Green chillies	-	2	Slice
6	Coriander pdr	-	1	Tablespoons
7	Fresh cream	-	100	ml
8	Cashew nuts	-	4	Piece
9	Red chilli powder	-	1 + 1	Teaspoons
10	Sugar	-	1/2	Teaspoons
11	Cumin seeds	-	1/2	Teaspoons
12	Tomato	-	200	Grams
13	Butter	-	100	Grams
14	Salt	-	1	To Taste
16	Ginger garlic paste	-	1 + 1	Teaspoons
17	Onion	-	1	Numbers
18	Tomato ketchup	-	1 or 2	Tablespoon

Method:

1.      Cut boneless chicken pieces into small cubes or strips. Add a teaspoon each of curd, chilly powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and enough salt. Mix well and leave it aside for a minimum of 30 minutes. Fry this in oil until the juice runs clear. Take the chicken out and use the remaining oil for the next step.

2.      Add sliced onions, a teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds and sauté for a while. Add tomatoes, green chilies, cashew nuts, ½ cup of water and close the pan until everything softens up. Once everything has softened up, leave the mixture to cool. Once cool, grind it well and return to the pan after adding butter. Saute it for a while and then add crushed fenugreek leaves, cream and tomato paste. (Tomato paste or tomato sauce is optional and can be added only if you find that it is not sour enough for your taste) Once the mixture starts boiling, add the chicken and cook until the gravy thickens. Add salt as per taste and garnish with coriander leaves.

Enjoy!