Salt and Spice

Ingredients

Shark or Ray – 1 kg cut into pieces

Onion – 1 sliced

Ginger – 1 tbsp chopped

Green chillies – 3 slit

Curry leaves – 3 sprigs

Kudampuli/ Gambooge – 4 pieces

Water – 2 cups

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

For Grinding

Grated coconut – 3/4 cup

Garlic – 1 tbsp chopped

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

Dry red chillies – 5

Peppercorns – 1 tsp

Jeera/ Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Uluva/ Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Oil – 2 tsp

Method

Soak the kudampuli in 1/2 cup of water.  Heat 2 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan and roast the grated coconut, garlic, coriander seeds, dry red chillies, peppercorns, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder till the grated coconut turns golden brown color.  Let it cool completely.  Grind it to a fine paste, adding water as required.  Keep aside.  Now heat  oil (use coconut oil to enhance the flavor of the curry) in a pan and add onions, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.  Fry till the onions turn light brown.  Add the roasted coconut paste, kudampuli, water and salt.  Keep covered and allow it to boil.  Open the lid and add the fish pieces.  Cook covered till done.  Twist the pan once or twice in between.  Open the lid and allow it to simmer.  Switch off the flame when the oil starts to float on top of the fish curry.  Serve lip-smacking ‘Varutharacha Meen Curry’ with rice, chapathi or dosa.  Enjoy!

This is the best way to prepare fish curry using fish like Shark and Ray.

Ingredients

Tomatoes – 5 chopped

Onion – 1 chopped

Green chillies – 2 chopped

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add onions, green chillies and curry leaves.  Fry till the onions turn light brown.  Add chilly and turmeric powders.  Fry for a second and add the tomatoes and salt.  Mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes on a medium flame.  Mash the tomatoes occasionally.  Open the lid and simmer till the gravy is thick.  Delicious ‘Tomato Chutney’ can be served with idli, dosa, rice or chapathi.  Enjoy!

I am sending ‘Tomato Chutney’ to Mahimaa for the “Cooking Basics Event”

Ingredients

Toor Dal – 1/2 cup

Potatoes – 1 cup diced

Carrot – 1/2 cup diced

Cabbage – 1/2 cup shredded

Cauliflower florets- 1 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 7 slit

Water -  2 cups

Salt – to taste

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Dry red chillies – 4 seeds removed

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Onion – 1 sliced

Ginger – 1/2″ piece chopped

Garlic – 3 chopped

Tomatoes – 2 chopped

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp chopped

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

Wash and soak the dal in water for half an hour.  Put it into a pressure cooker along with water and add potatoes, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Allow it to cool.  Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.  Add dry red chillies and curry leaves.  Then add onions, ginger and garlic.  Fry till the onions turn light brown in color.  Add the tomatoes and fry well.  Add the garam masala and fry for a few seconds.  Now add the cooked vegetables and dal and mix well.  Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.  Serve yummy ‘Mixed Vegetables with Dal’ with chapathi or rice.  Cheers!

‘Mixed Vegetables with Dal’ is off to Rachel’s event “MLLA # 20″ which is the brainchild of Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook.

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Ingredients

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Onions – 2 medium sliced

Garlic – 2 big chopped

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Tomatoes – 2 chopped

Green chillies – 2 chopped

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

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Onions – 2 sliced

Ginger – 2″ piece chopped

Garlic – 4 chopped

Green chillies – 4 slit

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

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Ingredients

Potatoes – 2 diced

Carrot – 1 diced

Onion – 1 small chopped

Garlic – 1 tsp chopped

Ginger – 1 tsp chopped

Green chilly – 1 chopped

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

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Ingredients

Small variety Fish – 1/2 kg cut into pieces

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Ginger – 1/2″ piece chopped

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Kudampuli/Gambooge – 2 pieces

Water – 1/4 cup

Salt – to taste

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Ingredients

Chicken – 1 kg cut into pieces

Onions – 2 chopped

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

Tomatoes – 2 chopped

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Water – 1 cup

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