AJWAINI FISH TIKKA

Its weekend, and we would enjoy some mouthwatering food .... be it an appetiser or the mains. These days I am giving in gradually to my men's wishes and cook what they love in most cases. As I always say, they are less demanding, hence there is no reason why I will not do that extra bit for them. You will always tend to serve the best way for your dear / loved ones unless they are real demons. Rising above self is so very required to build strong relationships. The two weird men are my pillars of strength and I take a lot of pride in saying this! I still have a major part of the world left to travel, you see I have to say this, haha. Jokes apart, I remember last year while touring Europe, we were at the Barcelona Football Ground, my men were engrossed at taking a look at everything minutely. Their girl was eager to get clicked with her men at every point, the senior hates to pose for clicks and the junior has to echo his father. Then came the severe blow..... S when will you grow up? S uses her last weapon.... she starts weeping, sobbing and declared she does not want any food for the day. The dad asked the son to get ready for some quick clicks. The son hugs mumma and says stop crying, see the pizzeria is calling us. The senior says, see you always say the son does not care for you as before, it is not that, we are just different. Oh, they are so much that, yet I never get on to them because the same person attends me with care when I throw off given my extreme condition of vertigo, motion sickness, whatever.

The sole intention of saying the above is that however self centric we are we must give genuinely to relationships that mean. I do not usually have any problem with the world unless anyone is taking an unnecessary dig at me. If someone does that.... well.... well... well I still cannot say I will see you.... even if I say, I cannot do it really, I am not built that way. These days, I am not entertaining such behaviours neither I am interested in cat fights. I have no time for all these, I have to cook and share, read more and more and get lost amidst the nature. How much you accuse me of been a cell phone addict, I would still defend myself.... so what if I am .... I am not interested in unnecessary gossips or causing harm to others or whatever. With my zero observatory power, I may not be doing justice to you all, I mean to the world, and to me too.... be sure that is unintentional. My too intelligent boys stay with such a nut... and happily without a complaint..... shouldn't I prepare some hot curries and kebabs and tikka for them? I must. 

My junior was this little when he had gluten allergy and mamma fed him bland porridge and what not while watching Thomas The Tank Engine or Finding Nemo, Dora... the Explorer together. Its high time I prepare what he loves more often. In few years, he perhaps will leave mumma and step into a bigger world. I still do not know how to live then, but never mind lah, I am a champion in handling departures, severe blow and insults too!... I call that GRACE! Gone are the days when the senior happened to be my best friend..... I used to run to his home whenever I felt heavy on heart, T ..... anything to say that makes me happy? I do not remember when I stopped asking him such silly questions, once we got engaged, he ceased to be my 'best friend'.... we are 'good friends' because I am not at the liberty to pour in all of my heart to him. I lost my best friend for ever, as long as he funds my saris, I am happy. So, this week I say cheers to that bond with these easy and quick to make fish tikkas which has a predominant flavour of ajwain / carom seeds in it. Nonetheless to say, we had some vodka martini to go with it, tea / coffee if you are a non-alcoholic. Live life to the fullest, in any given situation, life is precious, each one has to value our own because no one else will. Too much of 'fundas' need some tasty fillers as cover, let us come to that. These spice laden easy Fish Tikka I do prepare on a regular basis. Can we rock the weekend preparing it together?

INGREDIENTS :

Fish Fillet : 750gm [any white, firm, fish]
Carom Seed : 1tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 11/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp [I used Kulambu Spice mix]
Lemon Juice : 3-4tbsp
Gram Flour : 1tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2-4tbsp [ I use mustard oil for colour, once I heard chef Harpal Singh Sokhi saying this]

METHOD :

Wash the fish fillets thoroughly and cut into smaller pieces. Marinate with lemon juice and a little of salt for sometime. Meanwhile, dry roast the carom seeds / ajwain and grind with a hand pounder or in a grinder.

Marinate the fish fillets with oil, carom seed powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and keep aside for an hour. 

Thereafter, add the gram flour to the marinated fish and arrange them in a grill plate. We need to grease the plate. We can always do the fish tikka in a pan on stove top. Time taken will be a little more.

Place the high wired stool inside the microwave and the grill plate atop. Grill the stuffs for 15 minutes. Brush a little oil if required, in between.

Once done, transfer to a serving plate alongside some salad. Have it hot, an appetiser too hard to resist. But we are open to make it a part of our rice meal!