Karimeen Fry - Kerala style

In summer , we are usually busy on Saturdays and rarely cook together , though we love to. After a very long time we didn't have anything planned for the day,and a gathering & a movie only at night, so decided to cook something exotic and enjoy at home. 

I doubt whether there is anyone who doesn't like karimeen , the legendary kuttanadan celebrity? I am not sure whether its the taste , the looks or the nostalgia that invokes , makes this black beauty a winner all the time.

I have spent most of my vacations in my mom's place Muttar , a serene , calm place in Kuttanad and i tell you that was like a paradise for this particular fish - Pearl spot. We had like fish mongers carrying only fresh water fish like Karimeen, varal , pallathi and cherumeen , freshly caught from the same place , and they leave a basket full to our maids even before we are awake.  

I can never ever forget  the boat trips we used to take in summer vacations in R block , vemabanadu lake etc etc with my late grandpa ( appachan) and all mom's sisters in the boat that they used to have once upon a time, with home made Appam and Stew, Kappa and Erachi curry , and umpteen number of deep fried Karimeen and tiny ones and pots n pots of Madura kallu , from our own coconut plantations. Oh Good times!!!! Nothing can replace those experience that I had , and whenever we take house boat cruises , back home now, rather than njoying the trip , we usually relieve the good old times...

Recipe for Kerala Style nadan Karimeen fry ( Pearl spot fry)
Serves - 2
Total cooking time :- 30 minutes plus for marination and 10 plus minutes for frying
(old picture )

Ingredients:-

Karimeen/Pearl Spot - 2 nos (Available in kerala stores in US by Narmada Brands)
Ginger- Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Curry Leaves
Sliced onion

Directions:-

Mix all the powders and salt and adding a little water make a paste with it.
Apply the paste to the fish and keep it for sometime.
You can either deep fry( 10 minutes) or shallow fry(20-25 minutes) it as per your choice
( Add curry leaves while frying)

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Pale Green Spicy Minty Lassi

Happy Weekend Everyone!!! How have you guys planned the weekend ? a lazy relaxed one or hyper active one? I know its a late post for me in the week , and i have never in my 2 plus years of blogging have composed a post at midnight. I am just back home from a fun filled Friday night party and the remaining weekend and the coming days looks so promising that  if I don't squeeze in some time for this post now , it wont happen for some days.

Look at this oh so green and fresh mint leaves from my garden ♥♥

Well the dog days are here with heat waves just flaring up and it doesn't seem to budge any time soon. I couldn't appreciate the little cocktail book I have more than now, ever . 

What is the "two minute" wonder drink that keeps you refreshed and rejuvenated in this sultry weather? How about a spicy minty lassi with "store bought and fried at home" vegetable samosas to go with it? The recipe is from Madhur Jaffreys' and I made it with fresh green chiles and mint leaves from my lil garden. Instead, you can make it a bit more easily by adding 2-3 table spoons of store bought  mint chutney too..How easy breezy is that? And trust me this is an awesome combo to serve to your guest too.

Recipe for Pale green spicy mint lassi

Serves - 4

Ready in - 2-3 minutes

Ingredients:-
Plain Yogurt - 2 cup
Mint leaves - 15-20 leaves
Cilantro chopped - 3 table spoon
Green chile - 1 chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch chopped
Roasted ground cumin - 1/4 tea spoon ( optional)

Instead of all the above ingredients  you can use 2-3 table spoon store bought Mint chutney

Ice cubes - 3-4

Combine everything in a blender and whizz until smooth, for a minute. Pour into tall glass and serve with Ice cubes mint sprigs

Recipe Source :- Madhur Jaffrey

Have a good one guys

Sarah

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Brown Rice Pulao with Fish and Soy Bean

.................thus went my days , last week , crazy busy , but i am loving every minute of this busy days. Have I told you before , that I am a trained classical dancer too. Well, I started to put  all those years of hard work to good use :)...Still had some me-me time catching up with my gal friend in Manhattan , reminiscencing  about college days , over Ginger Royale ♥♥.. 

But being busy doesn't really mean that you cant take some time and cook something fabulously healthy for your family right?

Do you know they are gonna make Archie eat Samosas? Not that eating samosa is a bad thing. But don't you just love Archie and Veronica for what they are , do you really need them to wear the Indian hat to know them better? 

We switched to brown rice quite some time back , and it was all because of the "healthy" hype it was getting. But to be honest we had a tough time , adjusting to it. It always tasted so plain , and doesn't seem to go good with curry too , or we thought. But then I came across 2-3 recipes like the one I have today and this brown thing worked perfectly with it. 

I always get emails asking the perfect way to cook brown rice and to tell you the truth , i haven't came across one yet. I cook it exactly like how i do parboiled rice , cook a cup of rice with 4-5 cups of hot water and then drain it when i think its cooked( almost 20-25 minutes). But the best way would be to check the back and cook according to package directions.

Recipe for Fish , Soy Bean and Brown Rice Pulao

Serves - 3-4 

Total cooking time - 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients:-

Bowl 1

Brown Rice - 1 cup

Bay leaves - 1

Cloves - 2-3

Salt to taste

Bowl 2

Fish - 4 oz ( i used 2 medium Tilapia fillet)

Turmeric powder -1/4 tea spoon

Crushed black pepper - a large pinch

Salt to taste

Bowl - 3

Soy bean cooked- 1 cup

Baby corn sliced - 1 cup

Cucumber diced - 1/2 cup

Spring Onion sliced - 1

Green chili chopped - 1

Ginger and garlic - 1 table spoon( optional)

Juice of one lemon

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Cilantro or parsley chopped- 2 table spoon

Light Soy sauce - 1 table spoon

Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon ( optional)

Directions:-

Cook brown rice as per package directions Or Wash and soak brown rice in water for 20 minutes. Bring to boil 4-5 cups of hot water , and add salt, bay leaves and cloves. ( use any spices you like). Cook for 20-25 minutes or until it is done and drain the rice in a colander. 

Meanwhile rub the cleaned fish with salt , turmeric and pepper and pan fry with lil oil , or grill (6-7 minutes each side) or bake ( 400 degrees for 35 minutes plus). remove and flake it with a fork.

Heat a little oil in a wide pan and add ginger and garlic and sweat it out for a minute or two and then add green chili and fry for a minute . Add all other ingredients in Bowl 3 except lemon zest and lemon juice and cilantro and saute for 3-4 minutes. Switch off the heat , add rice,lemon zest and juice  and mix well.Slide in flaked fish , cilantro and give a quick fluff with a fork and serve warm with a raita and pickle.

Recipe Adapted from BBC good food with a lil variation

Have a Good one guys!!!

Sarah

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Canned Tuna Ularthiyathu ( Sautéed With Spices)

A catch up is always tough , even though its only been roughly 2 weeks since my last post. I have been so away from my routine , that the cooking , clicking and writing seems so foreign to me. Yes I am experiencing the same , some of guys have already gone through - the blogger's block.

I was in a total vacation mood these days, starting from long weekend , when we had July 4th bbq's , awesome night at NYC, and a beautiful hike up the mountain to freshen up after all the good food and bar hop-ping. But that was just the beginning of the package; N had to travel from his job , so i just tagged along the next day to a far away place :)....

Days,exploring the place ; people gazing at street benches and bookshops , with an ice cold drink pretending to be reading , walking for countless hours through downtown, window shopping....and at nights feasting on amazing cuisines , lifting my spirits to pure flavorful heaven. Ah we had much so fun !

I was like this flower, which caught our lens during our hike; living a butterfly fun life , oblivious of whats going on the virtual world....No Fb-ing , orkut-ing, or chit chatting ...

Today's recipe is particularly for a bunch of kids , living away from home in Singapore , engineering their way to success. Guys hope you like it.

A recipe by accident , this has found a permanent spot in my " Quick and easy " side dish list 2 years back. Always stock up a can or two of Tuna , to whip up a side with rice , a wrap with chapati or for a quick and dirty sandwich.

Recipe for Kerala Style Canned Tuna Ularthiyathu

Total cooking time - 25 minutes or less

Serves - 4 people

Ingredients:-

Canned Tuna - a 12 oz can( i use tuna in water)

Oil - 1 or 2 table spoons

Mustard seeds

Curry leaves

Onions finely chopped - 1 large

Ginger - Garlic paste  - 1 tea spoon or crush 2 cloves of garlic  and a small piece of ginger

Green chili chopped - 1(optional)

Salt to taste

Red chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Coriander powder - 3/4 tea spoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon

Garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon 

OR substitute these powders with a 1 table spoon of meat masala powder any brand , plus a lil garam masala for that nice aroma

Directions:-

Open the lid of the canned Tuna around , leave the lid on, push it down with your thumb and drain the water from the can as much as possible.

Heat oil in a non stick pan and mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Slide in chopped  onions and saute till it turns brown for like 7-8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic , fry for a minute and add the powders and mix well. 

Stir in the Tuna from the can and combine everything well. Saute the mix for nearly 10 minutes , until it is done and dry and brown. Sprinkle some water in between , for it to prevent from sticking to the bottom.

Serve warm as a side , a wrap or sandwich it :)

Check out related posts

• Kerala Mushroom Ularthiyathu
• Tuna Cutlets - Kerala style
• Canned Tuna curry

Good day all,
Sarah

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