Butter Nan

Butter Nan

Finally, I found a recipe which worked for butter nan. It is soft and tasty.

Butter Nan

Ingredients

1. Flour - 2 cups
2. Milk - 1/2 cup (warmed)
3. Yeast - 1/2 to 3/4 tspn (mix in 1/2 cup of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar)
4. Egg - 1 number
5. Curd - 1 tbspn
6. Sugar - 2 tspn

Method

Knead the flour well and leave it aside for minimum 2 hour or more depending upon the room temperature. The dough will feel sticky but that is fine.

Once the dough has risen pat your palms with some flour and divide it into equal balls. Roll it and cook it on a tava. Apply butter on both sides while each side has been cooked.

Enjoy!

Meen Pollichethe

Have been meaning to try meen pollichethe since some time but always thought it was an arduous recipe. But since I had some frozen fish fillets, thought it was the best time to experiment. These fillets come very clean and without any odor. Meen pollichethe ideally needs banana leaves but I had to be satisfied with aluminium foil. Next time I see banana leaves in the market, I am going to grab one only to try this recipe. The popular choice of fish for this recipe is Pearl Fish (Karimeen).

Ingredients

1. Fish - 1/2 kg one can either cut it into small piece or leave the fillets as thus

Lightly coat the fish with 1/2 tspn each of powdered red chilly plus black pepper and 1/4 tspn of turmeric powder along with salt and leave it in the fridge for minimum 30 minutes. Fry this lightly in coconut oil.

For the masala

2. Onion - 1 or shallots 1/2 cup (thinly sliced) I prefer shallots
3. Ginger - 1 tbspn sliced
4. Garlic - 1 tnspn sliced
5. Green chilly - 2 or 3 number sliced
6. Chilly powder - 1 tspn
7. Coriander powder - 1 tspn
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
9. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon
10. Curry leaves - a few
12. Tomato - 1 number cut into small piece
11. Coconut powder - 1 or 2 tbspn (or thick coconut milk 1/4 cup)

Method

Saute Ginger, garlic and green chilly in coconut oil until the raw smell leaves and add the onions. Fry it until the onion becomes soft. Add the powders and then add the tomato. Saute it until tomato becomes soft. Now add the coconut powder. It should be a semi solid masala. Spread half of the masala on the leaf or foil and place the fish above it. Cover the fish with the rest of the masala. Close it well and bake it for 20 minutes. I used my air fryer this time. (160 degrees). After I took it out I also placed it on a pan and let it sizzle for sometime while I placed a heavier pan on top.
The result was good. Had it with boiled tapioca.

I modified the recipe from here.

 

Indian-Style Grilled Chicken Breasts

Yesterday our daughter took over cooking from me and surprised us with a very tasty dinner. Am proud of my girl! She does have a knack for cooking and is going to enjoy the same over the years. Since I was at work, she could only phone me to identify the various spices that were needed for the marination. But she managed the over-the-phone tips.

Indian-Style Grilled Chicken Breasts

Adapted from Food.com

The accompaniments too were made by daughter and was tasty. Mashed potato, boiled beans and scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

1. Curd - 1/2 cup 
2. Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon 
3. Garlic cloves, quartered - 2
4. 1 piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
5. Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Cayenne pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
9. Chicken breasts (bone-in or boneless) - 4
10. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



Method

In a food processor, combine yogurt, tomato paste, green onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne pepper; purée until smooth. Arrange chicken in a shallow dish; coat with yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day ahead. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Place chicken skin-side down on greased grill over medium-high heat; cook for 15 minutes. Brush with marinade; turn and cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until golden and juices run clear (or place chicken on rack set on baking sheet; roast at 350°F, basting after 30 minutes with marinade, for 50 to 55 minutes or until juices run clear).

Serve garnished with chopped coriander or chopped parsley.

Chilly Prawns

This recipe is from a dear friend and is an easy but a very delicious one! 

Chilly Prawns

Ingrdients

1. Prawns - 450 gm

2. Chilly pdr - 3 tspn

3. Turmeric Pdr - 1/2 tspn

4. Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tspn

5. Lemon juice - 2 tspn

6. Salt to taste
7. Onions - 2 medium sized sliced finely

8. Chopped ginger , garlic and green chillies - 2 tspn
9. Chilly flakes - 1 tspn
10. Paprika powder - 1 tspn
11. Balsamic vinegar - 2 tspn

Method

Marinate the prawns with ingredients 2-5 and leave it for one hour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the prawn and cover and cook till done. Take out the cover and fry till brown. Fry the onion with  chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies. When the onion turns brown add chilly flakes, paprika and 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Add the fried prawns to this mixture and stir fry it for 2 to 3 minutes. Check the salt and add if necessary. Garnish with spring onions or curry leaves.

Puri and an Easy Potato Curry

It is not everyday that I let my household indulge in puri. But it is a favourite and the easiest curry that you can make with it is the potato curry.

Now if one asks me which is the best puri that you have indulged in, then there is one answer.. those from the Indian Coffee House! Ahh... how many of you have tasted it? As children, during our long trips to Mavelikara or Trivandrum, a stop at Changanacherry Coffee House was a must. Recently I relived the memories by stopping at Ponkunnam Coffee House. The potato curry still tastes the same. The one I make at home "almost" tastes similar but without the beetroot, the riot of color is missing. I learned this recipe from my MIL who picked it up during her stay in the once thriving township of Gwalior Rayons at Mavoor, Calicut. The township housed Indians from all over the country and hence there was variety in the cuisine. Since it tasted similar to the one at the Indian Coffee House and was an easy one, I have never tried the one my Mother makes at home. She always makes the drier version which is also similar to the Masala Dosa filling. This potato curry is very easy. All you need is to chop, chop, chop and put, put, put everything into a vessel with enough water. There is no sauteing and meanwhile you can prepare the puri for frying.

Since Puri Recipe is common, I am only going to give you a link to another site.

Potato Curry

Ingredients

1. Potato - 4 medium ones, chopped into pieces
2. Big onions - 2 Nos. - finely chopped
3. Green Chilly - 3 or 4 depending on your taste, sliced lengthwise
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch - finely chopped
5. Tomato - 2 nos. - chopped into small pieces
6. Mustard - 1/2 tspn
7. Small Onions - 4-5 finely sliced
8. Red Chilly - 1
9. Curry leaves - a few
10. Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Method

Put all the items from 1-5 into a vessel and pour enough water to cover the potatoes. Once it starts boiling, add enough salt and lower the flame. When potato is cooked, add the coriander leaves and lightly mash a few pieces of potato to make the curry thick. Switch off the flame and in another pan splutter mustard seeds in 2 tbspn of oil. Add the red chilly, onions and curry leaves and fry until the onions are browned. Pour this over the curry and enjoy!