King Fish Gravy

Vanjaram Meen Kozhambu / Mackeral/ King Fish Gravy / Vanjaram Chepa Pulusu

This is one gravy that all south indians fish lovers can't miss...In my last post about king fish fry, I bragged enough, that this time I can straight go into the recipe..
Ingredients:
7-8 King Mackerel peices- Descaled & Cleaned ( Can include Head(slit into two) and tail portions too)
1 Tbsp - oil
1/2 Tsp - Mustard seeds
1 Big - Onion cut into length wise
3-4 Green Chillies
10-12 Curry leaves
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Tbsp -Crushed Tomato Puree
1/2 tsp Tumeric powder
1 tsp - Red Chilly powder
1 tsp - Cumin powder
1 tsp - Coirander powder
1 Lemon size Tamarind/Puli/Chintapandu soaked in water and juice extracted about 2 cups
Finely chopped corainder leaves - a small bunch

Procedure:
Heat a pot, add oil, when heated add mustard.
After mustard splutters add the green chillies, fry, add onions, curry leaves and keep stirring till onions are cooked.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry till rawness is gone.
Now add the crushed tomato puree and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
Add all the powders, mix and cook another 2 minutes or till the mixture leaves the container.
Now sqeeze the Tamarind/Puli juice from the soaked tamarind & water into the cooking mixture.
Now mix this well and bring it boil,
Add the fish peices and cook another 5 minutes.
Once the gravy seems to attain a good consistency add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Leave the gravy aside for about 1/2 hour to marinate the fish with the tamarind.
Serve with plain Rice, or Dosas/Idli, or Chapathi/Parota/Roti

Potals/Parval Stir fry

Addressed as Pointed gourd in english, Parval in hindi, Potals/protons in south India, this vegetable is a must eat. Highly popular in North Indian as non-vegetarian sabji, parval lives up to that taste with its crunchy exterior and a full interior.

Use to enjoy this vegie growing up whenever mom or granny had in on the menu. It was usually a couple or more ways in which they use to make it..a stir fry, or a curried style or a tamatar version. Whatever way it is done I absolutely adore this vegetable.

For those who are not so familiar with potals, this is how they look like in raw form.

In South India, we were not so fortunate to have this vegetable so regularly, guess it was seasonal one too..Here in North America, off late I was overjoyed to see these in Indian and Asian stores.

A simple stir fry of this vegie is easy to make and satisfies the taste buds with its crunchy texture.

Ingredients:
1 lb Potals/Parval, (Washed and cut into thin slices lenth-wise, as shown in the pic)
1 tbp oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Onion cut length wise
2 Red Chillies broken into small peices
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1/8 tsp Turmeric
A few curry leaves
Coriander to garnish
Salt to taste
If interested add 1 tsp of Home made Curry leaf powder for more flavour. (I will post the method to make curry leaf powder soon)

Method:
Heat up oil in kadai/wok/skillet. Add mustard seeds.
After mustard splutters, add cumin seeds and fry a little.
Then add red chillies saute, and add the onions, curry leaves and fry them till onions are translucent.
Add the turmeric powder, saute.
Now add the cut potals and salt, give it a nice mix to coat them well with the tempering.
Sprinkle some water and cook covered with lid till the vegie is cooked stirring in regular intervals so that it won't stick to kadai and get charred.
When it is almost cooked , add the chilli powder and curry leaf powder, mix, garnish with coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve hot with Rice and sambar or dal.

Badami Ande / Egg Korma w/ Almond Infusion

I discover the making of this dish, when I was desperate for some rich gravy to go with my Biriyani. I ignored to pickup some Eggplants to make Eggplant masala during my regular grocery shopping, and also ran out of tomatoes to at least make some tomato chutney to compliment with biriyani. The only thing that came to my mind was eggs..sure eggs come to our rescue as i always mentioned in my previous egg posts. This time instead of just making a tangy egg gravy..to cut the spiciness of biriyani..I decided to experiment something different. Also I had that big packet of almonds sitting in my pantry...so decided to make use of them..so was born the "badami egg korma" With the regular korma ingredients like ginger garlic paste, coconut paste there was an addition the almond paste too..so no doubt this turned out to be a keeper dish.

Ingredients :
5-6 Hard boiled eggs
1 Tbsp Oil
2 - 3 Onions (over medium size, sliced length wise, or made into puree)
4 -5 Green chillies slit
1 Tbsp - Ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp Tomato puree
1/2 tsp each of Red chilly powder cumin & coriander powder.
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Tbsp garam masala power
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup Coconut paste/puree (add little water to the grated coconut and make a puree)
1/2 cup Almond paste/puree (add little water to the soaked, blanched almonds and make a smooth paste)
1/2 cup half and half cream
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Procedure :
In a Kadai/pot/pan, allow oil to become hot and add sliced onions or onion puree, green chillies and saute' till cooked.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
Add tomato paste and fry till cooked.
Add turmeric, spice powders, and salt and mix thoroughly.
Add half of the garam masala powder and mix again.
Add half cup of water, mix and allow to boil with closed lid.
Now add the hard boiled eggs and mix.
Add almond paste, coconut paste and tamarind paste and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes.
Just before removing add the cream and mix.
Add coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve hot with any seasoned rice, biriyani, or roti, naan or paratha.

Since this makes a very apt gravy to go on side with naan or paratha, I'm sending this egg gravy to Srilekha's EFM - Parathas and Gravies event

King Mackerel Fish Fry

Vanjaram Meen Varuval / Vanjaram Chepa Vepudu/ King Mackerel fry

The one fish mostly, I and brothers enjoyed eating, growing up was 'King fish'. The second best was Pom fret. We were hardly exposed to any other variety of fish. As the name says King fish lives up to its royalty in taste and so not to mention its cost.. This is one fish so popular in South Indian. Back home we used to enjoy this fish both the fried and the gravy with absolute indulgence...It was a staple very week in our house hold. Mum used to fry it so passionately, that the aroma of fried fish would make it difficult for us to finish our home works and wait till dinner time to enjoy it with hot rice and rasam or sambar.

My mom had a simple method of making this fish fry. Just add home made chilly powder(which consists of other spices too), turmeric and salt. God knows how even with so less ingredients the taste used to be so excellent.

After marriage I adopted a newer version adding ginger garlic paste, and off late I add sambar powder and tamarind paste to enhance the taste more..but I still miss my mom's chepa vepudu(fish fry).

For now here is my version :


Ingredients:

6-7 medium sized Vanjaram fish fillets, skin on

2 Tbsp oil

Fish Marinade:
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 Tbsp Sambar powder

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp red chilli pwd

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

salt to taste

Garnish:
few curry leaves
1 medium Onion cut into Wedges
Few Lime Wedges

Method:
Combine all the marinade items to make a paste. Add a few drops of water if the marinade is dry.
Clean and wash the fish fillets and pat them of any water.
Apply the marinade to the fish pieces and keep aside for 20-30 mts.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan/tawa, place the marinated fish and fry for 10-12 mts on medium heat, flipping on the next side after one side is reddish brown.
Just before removing flip the pieces again and add few curry leaves to roast along with the fish for a minute
Remove from heat and garnish with onion and lemon wedges topped with roasted curry leaves.
Enjoy with hot plain rice with sambar or pappu charu.



Will post the gravy version next.

Green Chutney

Yet another simple chutney made with ease is green chutney..with its pungent and powerful flavour its goes well with most of the Indian snacks/tiffins.

Ingredients:
1 bunch Coriander leaves - about 2 cups
1 cup Mint leaves
3-4 Green chilies
1/2 a Lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a blender except lemon juice, with a little water and grind till smooth.
Serve in a bowl, add lemon juice and mix well.
Goes well with Bondas, Dholkas, Dosas etc..

Sambar - A South Indian Pride

A stew with Lentil and Vegies

Sambar is yet another south Indian delicacy. It is a wholesome meal when accompanied with rice or Indian rice crepes dosa. This is one stew made every other day in most of the households in South India. There are a few versions of making it..here is one of them.

Ingredients :
To pressure cook or boil:
1 cup - Toor Dhal/Tuvaram Paruppu/Kandi pappu
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
2-3 garlic pods
2 cups water
1 tsp oil

Vegies :
1 large tomato
2 drumsticks cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup each of chopped mixed vegetables, beans, carrot,radish, potato,
1 cup Shallots or pearl onions
2 brinjals cut length wise
1/2 cup bottle gourd cubed

Others :
1 lemon size ball of tamarind soaked in water and juice extracted
1 tbsp. jaggery or sugar
2 tbsp. sambar masala
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tbsp. ghee
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
3 whole red chillies
2-3 flakes garlics slightly crushed
2 stalks curry leaves
1/2 onion
A pinch of asafoetida.
Procedure:
Put together the ingredients to pressure cook and cook for 15 minutes or till the dhal is fully cooked. When cool add salt and mash well and set aside.
Soak the tamarind in lukewarm water and extract pulp.
Add all the vegetables to the tamarind water along with salt and pressure cook till vegetables are fully cooked.
To this add the mashed dhal and mix well.
Add the jaggery and dissolve it.
Now add the sambar powder boil for another 2 minutes and then add coriander leaves.
In a separate vessel heat oil and add all the tempering ingredients fry and add the tempering to the boiling sambar.
Remove from heat and serve hot with rice accompanied with any veg/non-veg fry/vepudu/poriyal,varuval,appalam or have with dosa.

Potato Curry Masala

Potato is one the most eaten root vegetable all around the world..Not to mention the number of ways it can be cooked. South Indian households make curries, masalas, fries, gravies with potato or add it to any other vegetable or meats. In North India this is a staple side dish for lunch in many low and middle class families..

The recipe below with little variations can be accompanied for Dosas, poori, Bonda etc..



For Masala:
4-5 Medium size Potatoes
1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tbp Channa dal
10- 12 Curry leaves
2 medium size Onions sliced length wise
4 -5 Green Chillies slit
1 inch Ginger piece cut into small pieces
2-3 Garlic pods - thinly sliced
Asafoetida - a few pinches
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
Salt
Enough water
Coriander leaves

Method :
Wash Potatoes with skin on and cut into halves and pressure cook for 10 minutes little salt and enough water.
Check to see if the potatoes are fully cooked, and discard water and peel the skin and mash them into pieces.
Add little turmeric, little more salt and red chilly powder and mix well and keep them aside.
Heat the oil in a wok/pan, then allow the mustard seeds to splutter.
Now add Channa dal and wait till color changes slightly and add sliced garlic and fry.
Now add the onions, green chilies, curry leaves and ginger and fry till onions are cooked.
Add asafoetida and remaining turmeric and salt.
Now add the boiled, mashed potatoes and mix well.
Add a 1/2 to 1 cup of water depending on how thick or slimy you want the masala to be.
Finally add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.

For Masala Dosa a thicker Potato masala is used, for Poori the masala can be a little gravish , for bonda filling again a real thick version is used.