Sardine Fish Fry

          Try this yummy, spicy and tangy fish fry for an exciting light meal along with a bowl of soup and some salad. You need nothing else. It is a complete satisfying meal in itself. So indulge in this pure bliss anytime you crave for something simple and a hassle free meal. Besides, it can also be served as an appetizer / snack along with some homemade chutney. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 3 sardine fish, cleaned
• coriander leaves to garnish
• oil to shallow fry
• sliced onion, tomatoes, lime & fresh chilies to serve

Marination -

• 2" ginger
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 green chilies
• handful of coriander stems
• 2 tbsp. fried peanuts
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste

          Blend all the mentioned ingredients for the marinade. Generously rub it all over the fish pieces and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

          Heat 2 tbsp. of oil and shallow fry the sardines on both sides till done. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve along with sliced onion, tomatoes. lime & fresh chilies.

           

                                  Generously rub it all over fish & refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

                             Heat 2 tbsp. of oil & shallow fry sardines on both sides till done. 

                        Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with sliced onion, tomatoes, lime
                         wedges & fresh chilies.                  



                   

Ginger Mutton Angara

          Try this yummy home style cardamom flavoured mutton curry with some smoky flavour. It will immediately transfer your dish to the next level. I gave this angara effect with some live charcoal. 

           So this particular dish is apt to be served and enjoyed during any special occasion with family and friends. Do enjoy this simple dish with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, pulao, plain biryani, naan, tandoori roti, rumali roti or just plain chapati.

• 400 gms mutton with bones
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 2" ginger, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1-2 green chilies
• handful of coriander stems
• 1/2 cup fried cashews
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 small coal
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 tsp. ginger julienne
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the mutton in 1 cup water for 20-25 minutes after the first whistle. Separate the stock from the mutton.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil and saute the ginger, garlic, onion and chilies till light brown. Keep aside to cool down. 

          Then grind along with coriander stems and cashews to a fine paste by adding some water. Add salt and lime juice. Mix well.

          Heat remaining oil and fry the mutton till light brown. Add the ginger paste and fry on a medium flame till it is well blended with the mutton.

         Now add the stock. Cover and simmer till the gravy thickens and the oil separates. Switch off the flame. Transfer to a serving dish.

          Now arrange a small steel bowl in the centre of the serving dish over the mutton gravy and place a live charcoal in it along with the cloves and cardamom. 

          Pour the ghee over it and close with a lid for 5 minutes. Remove the lid after that and serve, garnished with ginger julienne and coriander leaves.

       

Ande Ki Angoori Bahar (Egg Dumpling Pudding)

          My new creation. Presenting a super yummy dessert which I named as Angoori Bahar made out of Egg Halwa, the famous Hyderabadi dessert. It is a great party recipe. Serve these small dumplings, drizzled with some homemade rabdi and garnished with chopped pistachios and saffron. They can be had chilled or at room temperature.

• 3 eggs
• 4-5 tbsp. sugar, powdered
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. kewra water
• 2 tbsp. pistachios, chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 500 ml. milk
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• sugar to taste
• pinch of saffron strands
• few dried rose petals

          Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in a pan and roast the bread crumbs till they turn slightly brown in colour. Transfer to a bowl.  Add 2 cups milk to it and keep aside for 5 minutes.

          In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cardamom powder, kewra water and half of the chopped pistachios.

          Heat remaining ghee and add the soaked breadcrumbs. Keep stirring on a low flame till it becomes thick and starts to leave the sides of the pan.

          Now add the egg mix and keep stirring continuously on a low flame till it turns into a thick mass and leaves the sides of the pan. 

          Transfer to a dish. Make small balls out of it and keep aside. Bring the remaining milk to a boil. Add the sugar and the green cardamom. Simmer till it thickens like a rabdi. 

          Arrange the small balls on a serving plate and pour the rabdi over it. Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with the remaining pistachios, saffron and rose petals. 

Minty Mixed Lentil Crepes / Pancakes / Cheela

          How about starting your day with some healthy stuff? So here are some mixed dal cheela / crepes for you where I threw in some mint leaves for some lingering aroma. I also added flaxseed and nigella seeds. You may omit it if you please. Serve these nutritious crepes along with some homemade chutney or pickles. They may also be had as a snack, as a light meal or packed for lunch.

• 1/2 cup mixed lentils, soaked overnight
• handful of mint leaves
• salt to taste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1" ginger
• 1 tsp. flax seed
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• oil to shallow fry

          Blend all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil, flaxseed & kalonji) along with some water into a smooth batter. Adjust water to make it of a pouring consistency.

          Add the flaxseed and kalonji and stir well. Heat a nonstick tawa and pour a ladleful of the batter. 

          With the back of the ladle spread it into a round disc. Drizzle some oil around the edges and cook on a medium flame till it turns light brown.

          Gently flip it over and cook the other side too. Transfer to a serving plate. Make similar crepes with the remaining batter and serve with any chutney or pickle.

Ginger Chutney with Cashewnuts & Coriander Stems

          Ginger relieves nausea and loss of appetite. So consuming it in small amount is beneficial for our health. It is especially good when taken after meal in its candied form to help in digestion. So elderly people can benefit from it. So here is my version of a simple ginger chutney where I added some cashews and coriander stems too. 

          Chutney is a must on an Indian platter and is served as an accompaniment to our food to make them more tasty and yummy. It goes especially well with any South Indian breakfast and is also a great substitute to the coconut chutney that is usually served. So do give it a try and enjoy with your favourite breakfast.

 

• 2" ginger, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1-2 green chilies
• handful of coriander stems
• 1/2 cup fried cashews
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• coriander leaves to garnish

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil and saute the ginger, garlic, onion and chilies till light brown. Keep aside to cool down. Then grind along with coriander stems and cashews to a fine paste by adding some water. Add salt and mix well.

          Heat remaining oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chili. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves and urad dal. 

          Saute for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Pour this tempering over the prepared chutney and add lime juice. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Aloo Gobi Palda (Potato-Cauliflower in Yoghurt Sauce - Himachal / Pahari Style)

          This particular dish comes from the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh. It is extremely easy and a simple recipe where potatoes and cauliflower are cooked in a yoghurt and rice flour based gravy. In simple term it is their form of kadhi in a thicker avatar. 

          It has a mild flavour, coming from the use of cardamom powder in particular and mustard oil. It can be made both in the dry form or gravy form, which can either be relished as a side dish with steamed rice or chapattis.

• 1 medium size cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 1-2 potatoes, cubed
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup yoghurt, beaten
• 1 tbsp. rice flour
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

            Mix together yoghurt, rice flour and cardamom powder. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté till light brown. Now add the cauliflower, potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and green chilies. Mix everything well and cook, covered on a medium flame till they turn soft.

          Sprinkle water and continue to stir at intervals till done. Now add the yoghurt mix and simmer further till it thickens. 

          Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. serve as a side dish with any form of rice or Indian bread.

Soya Okra (Bhindi) Stir Fry

          Soya in any form is always a healthy substitute to any non-veg. dishes. So here is a simple okra stir fry, paired with soya granules. Easy to cook, simple and delicious, they can be served as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

• 300-400 gms okra, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 cup soya granules
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 fresh red chili 

          Soak the soya granules in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and temper with nigella seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add asafoetida and garlic. Fry till it changes colour. Add the okra, salt, turmeric powder, green chilies and cumin powder.

          Fry on a low flame, stirring at intervals till the okra turns soft. Now add the drained soya granules and continue to fry for 2 more minutes.

          When done, add the ghee and switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh chilies. Serve as a side dish with either rice or chapattis.

Mutton Kundan Kaliyan - Awadhi Style

          All Mutton lovers, you need to try this recipe for sure. Highly recommended. It is simply out of this world. Tried it for the first time and was totally hooked to it. It was a sure hit at my place. This is an authentic Awadhi style mutton curry that I came across in one of the cookery shows. 

           The flavour coming from the kewra water and saffron was just awesome. Cream can be added according to individual preference. The gravy was rich, smooth and creamy and can be relished with any form of rice or Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this delicacy.

                      
          Kundan means gold and kaliyan means mutton. It is a shahi dish and is told that it was usually prepared for the nawabs. There was the use of gold leaf to this dish to give a royal touch  Hence the name. Whatever be the reason, it sure is a royal delicacy.

• 400 gms. mutton with bones
• 3 onions, sliced
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/3 cup ginger-garlic juice
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tsp. kewra water
• pinch of saffron
• 1/2 cup oil 

          Boil the mutton in 2 cups water for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. Separate the mutton from the stock and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown in color. Drain and allow it to cool down. Then mix with the yoghurt and mash well.

          Heat ghee in a pan and fry the drained mutton pieces till it turns slightly brown. Now add the yogurt-onion mix. Cover and simmer till the oil separates.

          Add the ginger-garlic juice and all the dry spices. Mix to combine everything well. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

          Add 1 cup mutton stock, sautéed mutton pieces and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles. Remove the mutton pieces and strain the gravy. 

          Simmer the strained gravy and the mutton pieces for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Add the kewra water and saffron. 

          Keep it covered for 5-10 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice, pulao, plain biryani, jeera rice or any Indian bread. 

                                  Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions.... 

                                 ......till golden brown in colour. 

                                  Drain.

                                 Then mix with the yoghurt and mash well.

                                 Heat ghee & fry drained mutton pieces till slightly brown. 

                                 Add yogurt-onion mix. Cover & simmer till the oil separates.

                                  Add the ginger-garlic juice..... 

                                 .......and all dry spices. Mix well & stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

                   Add 1 cup mutton stock, sautéed mutton pieces & pressure cook for 1-2 

                   whistles. Remove the mutton pieces & strain the gravy. 

                         Simmer strained gravy & mutton pieces for 2 min. Switch off flame. 
                         Add kewra water & saffron. Keep it covered for 5-10 min. 

                        Serve with steamed rice, pulao, plain biryani, jeera rice or any Indian 
                        bread. 

Soya Keema Matar

          Soya in any form is always a healthy option to any non-veg. recipes. So let me share a simple side dish of Soya Keema Matar that can be enjoyed with pulao, jeera rice, plain biryani, paratha, poori, naan, tandoori roti or just plain chapatti. 

          Soya in general can be used to make a variety of dishes like tikkis, parathas, kababs, etc. You will be surprised to know that it tastes just like any mutton / chicken mince. So all vegetarians go ahead and give it a try by following a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.   

• 1 cup soya granules
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Make a paste of the ginger-garlic and all the dry spies along with some water. Keep aside. Soak the soya granules in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. Then add the onion and sauté till light brown.

            Add the spice paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes along with some water. Cover and cook till it is mashed.

           Add the drained soya granules, peas and some water. Cover and simmer till the moisture is all absorbed.

          When done, add the ghee and give it a stir. Garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve as a side dish with jeera rice, pulao, plain biryani, naan, tandoori roti, paratha, poori or just plain chapatti.

                       Heat oil & temper with cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves & cardamoms. 
                       Then add the onion and sauté till light brown.

                                  Add the spice paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

                      Add chopped tomatoes with some water. Cover & cook till mashed.

                                  Add the drained soya granules.....

                               .....followed by the peas and..... 

                          ........some water. Cover & simmer till moisture is all absorbed.

                                 When done, add the ghee and give it a stir. 

                                  Garnish with the coriander leaves.

                  Serve with jeera rice, pulao, naan, tandoori roti, paratha, poori or plain
                  chapatti.