If you love eating, you can surely be a good cook, but to be an excellent one, you should have good critics at home. For that I owe to my husband and my children.

I dedicate this blog to the young ladies - "the starters".

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Shahi Mushroom Curry


Ingredients

Mushroom - 200gm
Oil - 2tbsp
Butter - 2tsp
Onion - 2
Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 3
Green chillies - 2
Pepper - 6
Black cardamom - 1 small
Green cardamom - 3
Cinnamon - 3 inch
Mace - ¼ tsp
Nutmeg - ¼ tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Red cashmere chilli - 1
Dry ginger - ½ tsp
Turmeric - ½ tsp
Cashew nuts - 12
Milk - ½ cup
Water - ½ cup
Coriander leaves
Sea Salt

Preparation

Sauté mushroom in oil and butter
and keep aside.
Soak cashew in warm water.

Make a fine paste of ginger,garlic, onion
and green chillies.
Dry roast pepper, both cardamoms, dry ginger,
mace, nutmeg, red chilli,fennel seeds and cinnamon.
In a passel and mortar crush these into a fine powder.
Make a fine paste of cashew nuts in milk.

In the wok add some more oil, butter and sauté
onion, ginger, garlic, chilli paste .
As the paste gets dry, add
the crushed garam masala powder reserving
half a teaspoon of the garam masala to
add later.
Sauté till oil separates.
Now add cashew paste keep stirring.
Add water,salt, sauté mushroom,half teaspoon
garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves.
Keep stirring on low flame, to get the right consistency
Garnish with juliann ginger and cream if you prefer.

Serve hot with chappati, puri or any Indian bread.

Black cardamom is bigger in size and
has a smoky taste.
Green cardamom has a sweet taste.
As black cardamom has a stronger flavour,
try to use it less.
Green cardamom is grown in Kerala,
so it is widely available in south of India.
Black cardamom is mostly used in North Indian cooking.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Meen Pollichathu (hariyali)




Ingredients

Fish - 1 medium sized
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 3 inch
Garlic pods - 2
Black pepper - 6
(fresh green pepper-optional)
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Sea salt

Preparation

Karimeen (pearl spot) or white pomfret fish
preferred for this recipe.
Cut clean and make slits on the fish.

Make a fine paste of coriander leaves,
Pepper, ginger, garlic and green chillies,
Vineger and salt.

Marinate the fish and wrap it in a banana leaf
And keep aside for 30 minutes.
Just before serving
grill it for 20 to 25 minutes on a tawa (iron pan).
turn up side down after 10 minutes
to grill evenly.
Serve hot.

If green pepper (not capsicum)
is available add the whole string.

Meen pollichathu (grilled) is the most healthiest
and the oldest way of cooking.
Traditionally grilled on red hot coal
or wooden stove.

To wrap any thing in banana leaves,
lightly heat the banana leaf on the flame
or else the leaf may tear while wrapping.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year


Ginger flower and yellow roses
in our balcony welcoming the new year.