Colocasia stem with coconut(thoran)

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Description:
Colocasia or Taro are often used in Asian cusisines.  But before cooking the Taro make sure you buy the ediable ones that are sold in supermarkets. Colocasia plants grows almost everywhere in hot places and there are poisonous varities too, so do not pluck them and cook without knowing is it ediable.

Ingredients:

1. Colocasia/Taro stem - 5 to 6
2. Curry leaves
3. Grated coconut - 3 spoons
4. Onion - 1/2
5. Green chilli - 1
6. Oil
7. Turmeric powder -1/2 tspn
8. Chilli powder - 1 tspn
9. salt to taste

Procedure:

Wash the Taro stem and peel off the outer skin, well its not mandatory as you can do it if you want. Cut it into tiny pieces. Once you finish cutting the stem, squeeze the stem to drain the excess water  out of it then transfer it to a different bowl. Add chopped onions and green chillies to it. Take a skillet and pour oil. Add the stem to it and close the lid. This dish takes very minimal time to cook. Open the lid and chcck the stem, if its almost half cooked then add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, grated coconut and salt. Close and cook till then stem is fully cooked. You can add dry chillies too for a visual treat. Thats all, ready to be served with rice and some dal. Enjoy!!

Grilled Mussels

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Description:

Mussels are rich in protein. For the below recipes green shelled Mussels are preferable but I used black shelled mussels.

Ingredients:
1. Black shelled mussels - 10 to 15
2. Onion - 1(white onion preferable if you can find them in stores)
3. Red bell pepper - 1
4. Fresh coriander leaves - handful
5. Parsley( I used dried parsley because could`t find fresh in my place)
6. Pepper powder
7. Olive oil
8. Salt a pinch
9. Garlic - 3 pods

Procedure:

How to clean the mussels:
Brush the mussels and take out the threads on the shell. Wash 3-4 times under running water.

How to cook mussels:

Take a deep vessels and fill with water. Add some crushed garlic and parsley into it . Once the water starts to boil drop in the cleaned mussels. Close the lid tight and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. After that transfer it to a sieve and hold under running water.  Note- Use the mussels that are opened after boiling, incase if you see any mussels haven`t open then throw it away, don`t use them. Separate the top shell of the mussels.

How to grill:

First lets make the filling. Chop the onion,garlic and capsicum into very tiny pieces. Put it in a bowl and add chopped coriander leaves, parsley and pepper powder. Throw in a pinch of salt and little olive oil. Mix well and keep it for 2 minutes. Next take the grilling pan and arrange the mussels on it. Take a spoon of filling and place it over each mussels. put few drops of olive oil on each mussels. Keep it in the oven on grill mode(300deg) for 10-12 minutes. Thats it grilled mussels are ready.  Try and see.

Sardine with coconut(Meen peera)

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Description:
Sardines are not on the favourite list of some people but you will be amazed by the nutritional benefits this little fish possess. Loaded with Vitamins, Minerals, omega fatty acids and is also considered as one the healthiest food in the world. My recipe is a typical Kerala recipe.

Ingredients:
1. Sardines( or another other small fish)
2. Onions -1 big
3. Ginger
4. Garlic
5. Curry leaves
6. Dry chilli - 3 pieces
7. Gambooge(kudampulli) - 3 or 4 pieces
8. Grated coconut - 1 cut
9. Turmeric powder - 1 tspn
10. Green chilli - 3 or 4
11. Oil
12. Salt

Procedure:
Clean and wash the sardines. Cut them into 3-4 pieces.  Chop green chillies, onions, ginger and garlic. Coarsely grind the coconut with turmeric power and green chillies. Take a wok/earthernware and pour some oil. Add the dry chillies, curry leaves, ginger and garlic to it. Next add the onions and saute it for few seconds. Add some turmeric powder and salt. Add the coconut paste with some water. Drop in the Gambooge(kudampulli) and allow it to lightly boil. Mix everything nicely and check for salt. After adding the fish you shouldn`t stir otherwise the fish will break. Finally add the sardines and cook till they are done. In between shake/rotate the wok but don`t stir with a spoon or spatula. Sardines will cook fast. Pour some more oil over the dish. Cook with lids open if any excess water remains. Well Meen peera is ready. Start serving. 

Fish grill and dip sauce

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This is a lip-smacking recipe. Even though it takes some time to cook because grilling is involved but all the ingredients used are very basic.

Ingredients:

1. Fish - Red Sea bass( medium size)
2. Ginger/garlic paste - 1 spoon
3. Green chilli paste(optional for fish)
4.  Pepper powder - 1 tspn
5. Chilli powder - 1 tspn
6. Turmeric powder -  a pinch
7. Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn
8. Lemon juice - 2 tspn/half a lemon
9. Mint leaves - a handful
10. Coriander leaves - a handful
11. Oil
12. Salt

Dip sauce ingredients:
1. Onions - 1
2. Ginger
3. Garlic
4. Dry chilli - 1
5. Soy sauce - 1 tspn
6. Fish sauce - 2 tspn
7. Coriander leaves
8. Salt
9. Oil

Procedure:

For this recipe whole fish like Sea bass, Red snapper  will be the best. First clean the fish and put 2 or 3 slits on each side based on the size of the fish. Make a paste adding the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Add ginger/garlic paste and green chilli paste to the masala. Crush the coriander leaves and mint leaves in a motor and pestle.  Mix together all the items mentioned above adding lemon juice to make a thick paste.  If the paste is very thick then you can add little water but the paste shouldn`t be watery. Check for salt, the salt should be little high when you taste the paste. Apply this paste all over the Fish and coat oil over the fish. Coat evenly in between the slit too. Keep the masala coated fish in a zip lock for marination. If you can marinate it overnight then its very good otherwise at least for 4-5hrs the fish should be marinated.

Preheat your oven at around 220c. Take a baking tray and chop some veggies  like onions, potatoes, carrots into medium size and place it on the bottom. This is preferable  because when the fish cooks it will ooze out water, so if the fish is placed on top of the veggies there won`t be moist on the fish. Not a mandatory step but I often does it. Now place our marinated fish on the veggies and keep your Oven in grill mode. Set temp to 300c. Grill for 15minutes on one side and turn over the other side and grill for 10 minutes. Take out the fish on a serving plate . If you still feel there is moist or want to make the top of fish more crispier then keep it in a griddle over the stove for 1 minute on each sides. Don`t keep for more time as the fish is already cooked. Serve the grill fish and garnish your platter. yummmm!!

Dip sauce:

Chop the dry chiili, Onions, ginger and garlic into small pieces. Take a skillet and add little oil. Put the dry chilli, ginger and garlic. Saute for few seconds and add the Onions. Once the onions starts to change color add soy sauce and fish sauce to it. Add some water but not more because the sauce shouldn`t be too watery.  Boil the sauce for few seconds. Taste first and if you feel more salt is needed then add some. Add some chopped coriander leaves at last.  Well thats it, pour this sauce on the grilled fish before serving or just keep it as a dip sauce on the platter.

Tilapia fried rice and Thai green curry

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Its an Indianised version ,very easy to cook. All you need is below

Forgot to keep turmeric and garam masala powder while clicking the pic.

Ingredients:

1. Fish (I used Tilapia)

2. Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tspn

3. Frozen peas - 1/2 cup

4. Green chilli - 1

5. Onion - 1/2

6. Turmeric powder - 1/2tspn

7. Garam masala - 1/2tspn

8. Cooked Basmati rice

9. Oil

10. Pepper powder

11. Salt to taste

Procedure:

First cook the basmati rice and keep aside. Coat the fish with a pinch of turmeric powder, little pepper and salt.  Leave it for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile chop the onion and green chilli . Take a skillet, add some oil. Put the onions and saute for few minutes. Next add the ginger/garlic paste and then goes in the green peas. Close the lid and cook till the green peas is done. Well it wont take much time to cook.  Same time shallow fry the fish too. Next goes in the remaining turmeric powder, garam masala and little pepper powder(optional). Mix everything well and leave it on medium flame for 2 minutes with lid open. Scramble the fried fish and add into the skillet. Mix well, it will look like this

         

Next goes in the cooked rice. All done and ready to serve.  It`s easy right? I served this fish fried rice with green Thai curry. Thai curry recipe I will upload soon.    

Idli and chutney

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Its breakfast time, so why don`t we cook Idli with some chutney. Everyone loves food, especially kids if tiny idlis are made for them.Once the batter gets fermented then cooking Idli is not tough.Fermentation process is bit long especially in cold places.

Ingredients:
1. Rice - 2 cups
2. Urad dal - 1 cup
3. Cooked rice - 1/2cup
4. Ginger - 1 spoon chopped
5. Salt

Procedure:
Soak the rice and urad dal overnight or atleast for 4-5hrs. Grind the rice and urad dal. I normally grind them separately. Do add the cooked rice too during the grinding process.  Even if the urad dal is partially grind thats ok but it doesn`t mean chunks of the dal should be there. Rice should be grind smoothly. Pour the batter into a vessel and keep it for fermenting.  The vessel you keep the batter should be big enough because once the batter ferments it will rise. Normally the batter will ferment by 7-8hrs but  longer in cold places. Once the batter is all ready to cook, chop and add some ginger. Add salt to taste.

Take your Idli stand and rub little oil so the idlis won`t stick on to the idli stand. Pour a spoon full of batter into the idli mould  and steam it. Steam for like 10-12 minutes and yummy idli is ready.

Chutney

There are so many recipes for chutney. I will post them slowly. Today lets see a easy and simple tomato chutney recipe.

Ingredients:
1. Tomatoes -2
2. Onion/shallots - chopped handful
3. Curry leaves
4. Mustard
5. Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Oil
9. Salt to taste

Chop the tomatoes, onions/shallots. Take a skillet and pour  some oil. Add the onions and saute it. Next add the tomatoes and closed the lid. Cook it for 4-5  minutes. Then add the turmeric powder and chilli powder. Stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Switch off the stove and allow to cool down. Now grind all the ingredients  with  some water. Take the same skillet and pour some more oil. Splutter mustard, add urad dal and stir till it becomes lightly brown color. Add the curry leaves and pour in the chutney. Simmer the flame and let it boil lightly. Add salt to taste.  Chutney ready. Simple don`t you think :)...

Spinach and Egg scramble(thoran)

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Thinking about what to cook for lunch?? Do you have the above simple veggies at home, then lets make a spinach and egg scramble. This dish together with a simple dal curry will go good with rice. Lets try

                                         

                                               

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 2
2. Spinach - 2 bunch(above pic is 1 bunch)
3. Onion
4. Green chilli- 1(optional)
5. Mustard
6. Turmeric powder - a pinch
7. Chilli powder - .5 - 1 teaspoon(depends on the hot level)
8. Oil
9. Salt

Lets cook!!!

Rinse and clean the spinach multiple times in running water and shred it . Chop the onion and green chilli. Take a skillet, add oil and splutter mustard. To this add the onions and green chilli. Saute till the rawness of onions goes away. Add the chopped spinach to it and cook for 2-3 minutes with lid close. Spinach cooks very fast. Then open the lid and add turmeric powder and chilli powder. Cook for  2 more minutes with lids opened so that the excess water dries off. Once the water is dried then move aside the spinach and break 2 eggs into the skillet. Scramble it with a pinch of turmeric. Mix together the spinach and egg. Add salt at last as per taste. Dish is ready and its easy to cook. If served with a bowl of dal for rice, then  lunch will be yum.. Try and let me now.