DALIA UPMA

Dalia is broken wheat made from whole raw wheat kernels crushed or cut into small pieces. There is extensive use of this food ingredient which makes a popular dietary supplement in many cultures, I know about my country. It carries a great deal of nutrition and fibre since it includes the fibre and nutrient rich outer bran and germ of the wheat. Use of dalia / broken wheat in diet helps keep our heart fit. It is used in  many ways in our food, it's made into khichdi, upma, kheer, soups along with assorted vegetables. I sourced this information from the WIKI [consult a doctor always] because as a Bengali, we did not eat Dalia  in our growing up years! Dalia got introduced in our family way later! In the present day, any grocery in Kolkata would sell it!

Dalia Upma with vegetables is a popular breakfast dish among the Indians. I prepare it often as it is a good source of iron, magnesium and phosphorous[consult a doctor], WIKI says. It is said to be more nutritious than rice as it contains more of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Besides, whenever this lady gets lazy, do not feel like rolling chapatis and puris, she tries her hands on upma, idli, dhokla. I enjoy a bowlful for my lunches!

In this dish, you are at the liberty to use a wide variety of veggies. I use whatever is available in my pantry on that particular day. Roasted peanuts, dry red chillies, curry leaves are compulsory in it's preparation. Using ghee as the cooking medium for this dish gives the best flavour but I wished to keep it vegan!

INGREDIENTS :

Dalia :100gm
Roasted Peanuts :1tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal : 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal : 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Curry Leaves : 7-8
Chopped Carrot : 1/2 Small Tea Cup
Green Peas : 1tbsp
Roasted Peanut : 2 tsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Chopped Onion : 1tbsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Take the required amount of dalia in a bowl. Wash the vegetables & curry leaves. Heat oil in wok, temper it with the Bengal gram dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves.

As they splutter, add the onion pieces, saute for 2 minutes.

As they turn translucent, add carrots, add salt as required. Saute for 3 minutes. Once they are half done, add green peas, sweet corn & peanuts. Stir cook for sometime!

Now add dalia. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes until they are roasted well and you get a nutty smell.

As the dalia turns light brown, it is time to add water. Add water little at a time, about 1/2 a coffee mug!

The entire process is to undergo at low heat. You can see the dalia boiled, grew bigger after 6-7 minutes. Adjust salt, stir, switch off the gas stove. Transfer dalia upma to a plate, serve, have garnishing with shredded coconut!

CARAMEL CUSTARD

We prefer Desserts post meal, precisely post dinner. For health reasons we don't follow this 'sweet rule' everyday. On weekends, it's okay to give yourself, your family sweet treats, be it at home, outside of home. 

Every country has its choice of desserts depending upon respective taste buds. With globalisation and free internet; cuisines are not limited to their country of origin. All of us want global acceptance. A food blogger may try through constantly experimenting with recipes.

     

Today, I chose to cook Caramel Custard, a dessert with caramel on top. This dessert is popular throughout the world. It may have originated in France, Spain but got a wide acceptability, may be because of it's light sweet taste, texture, easy making steps with few ingredients.

    

Until now, I only talked about how great cooks our mother, grand mother are. I should mention my mother-in-law too. She had been a good cook too with access to limited dishes, may be for health reasons & lethargy, lost interest early in life. I don't think she ever loved cooking! She used to cook fish, meat, egg and Bengali "pithe-puli" pretty good!

Custard had been popular in their humble household to go with seasonal fruits. I have learnt preparing Caramel Custard from her, follow her recipe which may differ from the authentic one. Our family recipe for Caramel Custard calls for few ingredients! The only difference is that I do it in my convection mode microwave oven and their home did it in a pressure cooker. But, today's caramel custard is done on stovetop!

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 350 ml [I used evaporated creamer, a can of 385ml]
Eggs : 3
Sugar : 3 tbsp + 50 gm
Vanilla Essence : 1 tsp

Cornflour : 1 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

We are using these few ingredients! I used evaporated creamer this time, I didn't need to boil milk to thicken. Taking it in a bowl; I added 3 tbsp sugar to it!

In another bowl, break eggs, whisk well. Add bitten eggs to evaporated creamer. Beat for at least 4 to 5 minutes. Add cornflour, vanilla essence, beat again.

To make caramel, add sugar to a microwave proof bowl, microwave until melted and brown. 

Pour liquid into mould we are going to use. Pour the milk-egg mixture passing through a strainer!

I cooked caramel custard on stove top this time! I placed a wok on top of gas burner, on it a stand! 

I added two coffee mugs of water to wok! Once it came to boil, I placed bowl atop stand!

I covered bowl, also wok with lid! I cooked it at minimal to slow heat for 30 minutes!

Please insert a toothpick in middle to check. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Let it cool, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours! Place bowl with caramel custard on table, loosen with toothpick. Place a serving dish on top, overturn!

It is to be had chilled always to enjoy most!

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Whenever I indulge in sinful delights, reflection is seen on weighing machine. I start chanting, "Health is Wealth". This really helps for next few days to keep myself within the advisory limit of doctor. I limit my carbohydrate intake, concentrate more on proteins, vitamins. 

Baking, roasting were not common in Bengali Homes, now may have become. I am poor at it. Recently, I started following blogger friends who do such recipes with expertise. I thought of trying! 

Every new recipe that is healthy, colourful does attract me. All such experiments I do in my convection mode microwave oven. Lot of research needs to be done to adjust the timing, knowing the right kind  of seasoning, length of period of marination; so on....so forth. Friday evenings, I am on a research mode.

One such Friday, I picked up this recipe of roasted chicken. Whenever we plan for a movie outing in evening, leaving junior back at home, I feel guilty. Although he is grown up, I feel bad. 

Son & man ain't fond of plain rice, I plan a recipe that son would love to have, prepare it, then go out. While going out mumma wants to see smile on son's face. When she comes back she smiles getting to see no leftovers on his dinner plate. 

There should be vegetables with such chicken dishes. My men dislike salads. Even I do but I force myself to have. I served roasted chicken with cheesy bread!! I had with rice, yam bharta, lentils curry, lemon, cucumber. 

Using minimal spices I indeed cooked a praiseworthy healthy recipe with chicken. Let us do this hassle free cooking together.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken[whole] : 800gm-1kg
Red Chilli Powder : 2 tsp
All Purpose Seasoning Powder : 1tsp
Italian Herbs Mix : 1tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 2tsp + 2 tsp for brushing post cooking
Salt : As per requirement

Lemon Juice : 3-4 tbsp

METHOD :

Get the chicken dressed from the market. Wash thoroughly. Pat dry with a clean dry cloth. With help of knife slit all over.

Rub the whole chicken with all of the ingredients sparing 2 tsp oil for brushing post cooking. Keep aside for 4 hours.

Preheat oven. Wrap chicken with aluminium foil, place it on baking tray. Place low height rack inside, on it plate with foiled chicken. Cook at microwave+grill combination mode, C-2 for 20 minutes.

Take out, discard aluminium foil, any leftover juice. 

Place high wired rack inside, atop it baking tray with chicken. Grill for 15 minutes, turn over, grill for another 10-12 minutes, we should be done. 

Since every oven is different you have to adjust your own timing.

Brush oil all over chicken, serve hot with  Bread or Rice varieties!!

   

FILLETO FISH WITH ASSORTED VEGETABLES

I was thinking people would start assuming  by now that this lady cannot cook anything other than fish. I would say I love fish so much that I have to have it everyday. If we are having it everyday, we need to explore different recipes to keep the craze going on at home. Each time before I start to cook, I sit and set the menu. At first, I settle on the type of fish curry, then based on it other dishes. On a normal day, in Bengali households, meals consist of lentils accompanied by fritters, one or two types of vegetables, a fish curry, ends up with sweet chutney. These days we generally skip the fritters and chutney mainly for time constraint, health reasons. But fish item should be the queen adorning the dining table, almost everyday, at every meal, that I can swear upon on behalf of my clan. Over the weekend, in addition there would be mutton or chicken curry.

Today's recipe of fish isn't typical of my place, it is fish fillets cooked with assorted vegetables. After I stepped out of my city, I learnt to accept, recognise other cuisine, culture, ways of life. I must admit the present city gave me the much required exposure, helped me develop right a broader perspective. Appreciating other's way of life, accepting it, applying best of it in our lives reflects open-mindedness. Also, I cannot take the smell of sea-fish, fish fillets cooked different ways are dearer.

This recipe of fish fillet cooked with assorted vegetables is extremely easy to prepare using minimal ingredients. You can add any vegetable of your choice to the fish. I added what was available in my kitchen on that particular day. Let us cook this yummy, healthy fish dish together.

INGREDIENTS :

White Fish Fillets : 500 gm
Broccoli : 1
Cherry Tomato : 6
Carrot : 1 big
Onion : 1 big
Green Chilli : 5 medium
Salt : As per requirement
Black Pepper Powder : 1/2tsp
Ginger : 1/2tsp[minced]
Garlic : 1tsp[minced]
Soya Sauce[light] : 3 tbsp
Vinegar : 2 tbsp
Corn Flour : 2tbsp
Refined Flour : 1tbsp
Oil : 4-5tbsp

METHOD :

Cut the fish fillets into small pieces, wash thoroughly. Marinate with little salt, black pepper powder, vinegar. Keep aside for an hour.

Peel carrot, cut into halves, finally into smaller pieces. Cut into half the cherry tomatoes, the green chillies. Cube the onions, cut the broccoli into small florets. Keep the veggies in separate bowls, wash thoroughly. Peel, wash, mince the ginger, garlic.

Drain excess vinegar water from fish pieces. Wipe them with a dry cloth. Add corn flour, refined flour, salt as required, mix well. Heat oil in wok.

Once oil is hot, start frying fish fillets in batches. The gas mark should be at medium to low.

Once all fish pieces are fried, place them on tissue papers. Temper the remaining oil with minced ginger, garlic. As you get a nice fragrance, add onion pieces. Fry until translucent. Now add carrots, stir, cover. Gas mark should be at low.

Remove cover after 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, slitted green chillies.Increase gas mark to medium. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.

Add cherry tomatoes, stir. Add soy sauce, black pepper powder, salt. Stir cook 2-3 minutes.

Add fried fish fillets to wok. Stir well carefully so they don't break. After a minute switch off gas stove.

You can have it as an appetiser or serve it with fried rice. Both ways it tastes yum.

CASHEW CHICKEN

Chicken became staple these days, son loves it, the man seems happier to get a plate of roti & chicken, unless served a plateful rice with a nicely cooked fish curry. Chicken recipe needs variations, we need not get bored eating same curry every other day. 

It is absolutely necessary for a fish lover like me to prepare chicken to that level of perfection where I am tempted to have a plateful of chicken curry & rice within minutes. Given my medical condition, I am forced to curtail my carbohydrate intake, hence the proteins I take needs to be tasty, nutrient rich. To strike a balance between taste and nutritive value is what we need.

My senior and junior can give you 10 points instantly in favour of this popular bird. They love it, of course with flatbreads, they are okay with toasted bread too. I called it  a popular bird considering it's wide range of acceptability, cost effectiveness. It is the most common type of poultry in world, a major source of egg, meat worldwide. It's meat being soft, it's easy, quick to cook.

This simple recipe of Cashew chicken is perhaps a descendant of Shahi Murgh which is a richer version that calls for delectable spices. May be the original recipe was invented in Royal kitchens. Since I have no research on it, its better to go straight with the recipe. I have used less spices in it preferring a mild taste, a bit sweet rather than hot, spicy.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 500 gm
Plain Yogurt : 100 gm
Cashew Nuts : 4-5 [raw]
Raisins : 5
Melon Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Black Peppercorns : 1 tsp
Bay Leaf : 1 
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Onion :  2
Garlic Paste : 2 tbsp
Salt : As per taste
Oil : 2 tbsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash, cut chicken into slightly bigger sizes. You may ask your vendor to cut. Beat yogurt, add to chicken. Add salt, marinate for 2-3 hours.

Slice onions. Add to blender cashews, raisins, melon seeds; blend to a smooth paste. Heat oil or ghee in a wok. Temper with bay leaf, black peppercorns.

Add onion slices, fry until golden brown. Add garlic paste, fry until raw smell goes away and it releases nice aroma. Add spice paste, keep stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, chilli powder. Fold in well.

Add chicken with marinade. Stir, cover cook at low heat. Check, stir every 5 minutes to avoid burning, sticking at the bottom. Your chicken should be ready in 40 to 45 minutes.

Transfer to serving bowl. Have hot accompanied by choice of bread or rice, pickle.

VIETNAMESE FISH CURRY

I am acquainted with the name Vietnam ever since I was young, due to our father's political ideology. I remember as young as in middle school, he made sure I read, be aware of the political scenario worldwide. With age, I started liking exploring countries through my reads, learning about their people, physical and political boundaries, their revolution, survival strategy, though not cuisine as much. There was a time when Kolkata was much influenced by the Vietnamese revolution . Kolkata also has  a prime location named after Ho Chi Minh.

With an estimated 90.0 million inhabitants, it is the world's 13th most populous country. It is bordered with China to the North, Laos to the Northwest, Cambodia to the Southwest, and the South China Sea to east. The capital city being Hanoi since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976. What I did not know was about its wonderful cuisine. Learning about a country's cuisine is knowing about its people and culture. It was only after landing in this island that I tasted Vietnamese dishes and instantly fell in love with it. [Sourced from WIKI]

Vietnamese Cuisine combines five fundamental taste elements. The common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemon grass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chilli, lime, basil leaves. [Sourced from WIKI]

I love Nem Cuon [salad rolls], their various soups with fresh herbs. Their cuisine has a finer taste with minimal use of oil. I need to have more expertise to prepare their unique rice paper rolls, thought why not start with a humble pot of fish curry.

INGREDIENTS :

White fish fillets : 500 gm
Tomatoes : 2 [medium]
 Rainforest fruit Jeowbong paste : 1 tsp [ I used normal red chilli paste]
 Garlic Cloves : 2
Fresh Ginger ; 1 inch
Fresh Galangal : 1 inch [ I skipped ]
Palm Sugar : 2 tsp [ I skipped ]
Chicken stock paste : 2 tsp [ I used a cube of chicken stock ]
Shallots : 2
Fish Sauce : 1 tsp
Tamarind paste : 1 tsp
Lemon juice : 1 tsp
Soy sauce : 2 tbsp [ alternatively tamari, said to be gluten free soy sauce ]
Peeled Fresh Turmeric : 1/2 finger length piece [ I used turmeric powder ]
Oil : 2 tbsp [ authentically peanut oil ]
Lemongrass : 2 stalks [ only the white part ]
Vinegar : 3 tbsp
Salt : As required
Coconut milk : 150 ml

 METHOD :

Wash, cut fish into small pieces. Marinate with vinegar, salt, keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

Cut shallots, keep white, green parts in separate bowls, wash. Take white part of the lemongrass, cut into pieces, bruise. 

Make smooth paste with garlic, ginger, deseeded tomatoes, chicken stock paste, tamarind paste in blender. Transfer to bowl. Add soy sauce, salt, fish sauce, turmeric powder, chilli paste.

Heat oil in wok. Add white pieces of shallots, lemon grass pieces. Stir cook for 2 minutes. Add spice paste. Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add a small cup of water. Let it come to boil.

Once gravy comes to boil, add fish pieces draining the marinade. Carefully give a stir. Cover, let boil for about 3 minutes. Remove cover, add coconut milk. Stir carefully to avoid breaking of fish pieces. Let boil for about 4 minutes. Switch off gas stove, transfer to bowl, garnish with green part of shallots.

                 

EGG ROLL

Street Food has its own charm, you bet. Except for few health freaks, all of us love to have them often. Besides Phuchka and Jhalmuri, Egg Roll is perhaps the most popular street food in Kolkata. Every corner of streets in Kolkata have roll centres. 

During my college days, in spite of mom packing my lunch box..... I along with friends would flock in front of Sanatanda's Roll Centre to grab one. We looked like swarm of bees searching for food. You won't believe with what expertise, fast the cook would roll the parathas, amazing. I do not visit that particular area on my Kolkata visits, may be too much of nostalgia cause aches. My school friends are countable but college friends were numerous; lost touch with maximum! 

Most of us belonged to middle class families with at least two siblings. We used to get limited pocket money. It was not affordability alone, our parents believed giving handful of money to youngsters spoils them. With limited resource, two friends would share one roll. Good enough because rolls are too filling, we had to clean off our lunch boxes. Besides, we had to save considerable amount for our regular visits to movie theatres bunking classes. 

I have no qualms in admitting I had been an average student. In college, I was mostly seen at the clean, green lawn in side the college premises taking a bite at Sanatanda's egg roll or in the neighbouring movie theatres.

Last year, few of us friends visited our college, a kind of nostalgia paralysed us.....the hall, the classrooms, the lawn, there still is Sanatanda's Roll Centre. He grew old, his cook might have changed, the rolls taste better, serve the present generation students. We were back to the 90's; with limited resource, no cell phones, travelling in overcrowded buses, we were happy, for being with and for each other.

Not allowing myself to forget my roots, I keep trying to recreate my city at home admitting  the comfort of staying in five star ambience of this island. Why do we need to be pretentious? Advantage of staying here is that we hardly feel we are in foreign. Being a cosmopolitan hub, it is pretty accommodative.

I think paratha rolls are common in many countries with little variation. I am more fond of healthier wraps. Though I like egg roll, I cannot digest it! I wished to share with you the recipe of Egg Roll typical of Kolkata, The City Of Joy. If you use frozen paratha, the recipe becomes the easiest one.

INGREDIENTS :[for the Parathas / Flatbreads]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mugs
Oil : 3 tbsp
Salt : 3 pinches
Sugar : 1/2 tsp
Water : 1/2 small cup or as required.

[ I used store bought Frozen Parathas]

INGREDIENTS :[for the filling]

Egg : 6 [ for 4 parathas / flatbreads]
Salt : As required
Onion : 1 big [sliced]

Cucumber : 1 small [cut in strips]
Green Chillies : 2 [chopped]
Lemon Juice : 2 tsp for each roll
Tomato Ketchup : 1 tsp for each roll.
Oil : 1/2 tsp for each omelette
Salad : As You Wish

METHOD :

Let us prepare flatbreads first. Take refined flour in a wide mouthed bowl. Make hole in middle. Pour in oil, add salt, sugar. Rub well for 2 minutes. Adding little water at a time, with help of your palm knead soft, smooth dough. It will take about 15 minutes. Cover dough with soft, wet cloth for 1/2 an hour.

Remove wet cloth from the dough. Make roundels, flatten with your palms. With help of a rolling pin and base make round shape parathas with touch up of oil. Heat a tawa / flattened frying pan. Fry each parantha well with 1/2 tsp oil.

Else follow me, use frozen paratha / flat bread. Heat pan, cook each paratha well without using oil.

Now beat eggs together with little salt in a bowl. Keep aside. Slice onion, chop green chillies. Cut, deseed lemons. Take out ketchup bottle from refrigerator . Pour oil in a cup.

Let us cook omelettes. In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp oil. Once hot, with help of ladle, pour egg batter, make one at a time. Put paratha atop omelette when it's still undone, it would stick to paratha. Turn over, cook well. Transfer to a plate.

Once done fill each one with sliced onion, chopped green chillies, strips of cucumber, squeeze lemon juice over them, drizzle with tomato ketchup, roll up. It must be served hot. Cristine does the rolling, I am poor at it!

BHINDI NARCOL

Once the festivity is over, the next few days we feel like surviving on simplistic food. For me, a humble plate of rice, dal, a vegetable, some fries works wonder. Remember, after the festive season, the stomach needs rest. Simple meals help digestion. I guess vegetables are naturally low in fat & calories, also important source of nutrients. Whenever I cook vegetables, I restrict the use of spices in it. We feel pathetic when our stomach revolts. Also my vegetarian friends are in a mission to stop visiting my blog. Before they take such a drastic action, let me come up with few veggie recipes to my rescue. I thought lets do an honour to my vegetarian friends. This simple, easy recipe with Bhindi / Lady's Finger, Onion and Shredded Coconut goes well with handmade breads or can be had with rice and lentil too. Its prepared using,  less spices. Let us prepare Bhindi Narcol / Okra with Coconut together within half an hour or so.

INGREDIENTS :

Lady's Finger : 200 gm
Onion : 1 big
Shredded Coconut : 1 medium cup
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Punjabi Garam Masala Powder :1/4 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Nigella Seeds : 2 pinches
Green Chillies : 2
Dry Red Chilli : 1
Oil : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash, wipe each lady's finger with a piece of dry cloth. Cut the root end. Marinate with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Cut onions into cubes.

Heat oil in wok. Temper with nigella seeds, dry red chillies. Add onion pieces. Saute until translucent. Add shredded coconut. Saute for two minutes.

As it releases moisture, add ladyfingers. Slit green chillies, add. Add cumin and coriander powders, salt, turmeric. Saute well, cover. Reduce heat from medium to low.

After 2 minutes, remove cover, give a stir, add one small cup of water. This way cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. 

Add garam masala powder 2-3 minutes. Stir well, switch off gas stove!

When you add the okra / bhindi, add a pinch of baking powder which will help retain its colour!

Enjoy with rice or roti!!

                     

VEGETABLE CUTLET

Once, I hated vegetables! I remember how our mother struggled each day to feed us some. Morning until night she would try to brainwash me with advantages of having vegetables regular. She would entice us to have offering more of fish, meat. Perhaps God watched sitting up there, today I do same struggle with son. Oh! God, he is such fussy about having vegetables, same is man! At times they get on my nerves. But can a mother lose patience? No way.... she would always want to give proper nutrition to her kids, by hook or by crook.

In the process of making food tastier, may be some nutritional value is lost, but at least some amount of nutrition is going inside, that is the whole idea. These days, there are many ways of preparing tasty food without compromising with health of your dear ones. There are grill options, air friers to make mothers happy. I think I need an air frier. I oven cooked the vegetarian cutlets in grill+microwave combination cooking mode!

When son was young, his doctor would ask me to prepare tasty food for him! He would say, just like us, kids too have taste buds. He would say, we cannot make porridge for them at every meal, then complain doctor, my child is not eating anything. He would ask to prepare our kids' food at home, make sure we maintain proper hygiene. I follow what he told me till date. I try to get colour, variety in his lunch box. Whenever I think one day he has to leave mamma to explore world, I feel urge to be more particular about the food he eats. 

This vegetable cutlet is a great evening snack. It goes well with tea / coffee, can be eaten as an appetiser too. It requires few ingredients to prepare, hence is hassle free.

INGREDIENTS :

Potato : 2 
Beet Root : 1
Carrot : 1
Green Peas : 1 tbsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Cumin Seed : 1 tsp
Cumin Powder : 2 tsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Crushed Black Pepper : 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : As per taste
Refined Flour : 3 tbsp

Corn Flour : 2 tbsp
Bread Crumb : 100 gm
Oil : 2 tbsp + As much required to brush each cutlet

METHOD :

In Bengali household, the difference between vegetable chop & cutlet may be only in their shape! We would end up tempering with cumin, add spices, cannot toss filling in butter, etc.

Peel, wash, cut potato, beetroot, carrot into halves. Pressure cook them upto 3-4 whistles adding enough water! Let cool, drain water, mash!

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in pan. Add 2 pinches of cumin seeds, chopped green chillies.

Add mashed vegetable mix. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, crushed black pepper, sugar, salt! 

Add cornflour, stir cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off gas stove, let it cool. Transfer to bowl.

Shape into medium sized round balls flatten with your palms. 

On plate, take bread crumb, rest of cumin & coriander powders, chilli powder, little salt; mix well! Because I oven cooked cutlets, a good colour of bread crumbs was necessary!

Mix together refined flour, water to get little thinner than a paste like consistency! Coat each cutlet with bread crumb mix, dip in the refined flour mix; repeat process!

Once all cutlets are ready, grease an oven proof plate with oil, place the cutlets. Brush each cutlet with oil.

Place baking stand inside oven, in case you have a convection mode microwave oven, on top the plate with cutlets!

Cook in microwave+grill option, one side for 12 minutes. Turn over, brush with oil, cook for another 7-8 minutes. We should be done. Let them stand for 3-4 minutes before taking out!

Serve hot with chutney, sauce, onion rings! The smile you get in return is priceless.... be it your guests, friends or family!!

SINGAPORE FISH HEAD CURRY

I belong to a place / community who dream, eat, love fish like cats, the first thing that caught my attention in this island was it's love for fish prepared in variety of sauces. At restaurants you are not allowed to enter the kitchen, whenever I visit a food court here, I love standing, watching with what expertise they cook in big woks. 

I was particularly hooked to fish head curry for two reasons...... the enticing colour of the curry; the other reason may be recipes with fish head is common in our community. I have learnt to eat fish head  alone ever since I was 6. In spite of the fact that the senior at home pulls my leg saying "you are still not satisfied eating mine that you need fish heads". They are a must on my plate. Singapore fish head curry is quite different than that of us. It was a must do as I love variety in my food, whether its at home or for the guests.

WIKI says fish head curry was first sold in a small shop in Mt.Sophia. It was a brainchild of an Indian, M. J. Gomez who suited it to the local taste. It got extremely popular among the Chinese and Malays. The spices used in this dish is heavily influenced by the South Indian fish curry. Though I feel the recipe has been modified to suit the taste buds of the variety of people staying here. 

If ever you visit Singapore, You must visit the restaurants in and around Tekka Market or those along the Race Course Road to have a taste of authentic fish head curry. You have innumerable food courts preparing it maintaining all hygiene. The Chinese restaurants do offer this dish. If  you wish to have it sitting in a cosy, homely atmosphere, visit my kitchen, once you enter the door, you can feel the warmth, we assure that.

Exploring through various recipes, I zeroed in on this particular recipe. You can use the same curry for preparing fish, egg or chicken.

INGREDIENTS :

Fish Head : 1 or 2 big[each cut into halves, I used Salmon head]
Lady's Finger : 4-5
Egg Plant : 2 [small variety]
Tomato : 2 medium
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1tsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Ginger : 3 inches chopped
Garlic : 5 cloves
Cinnamon Stick : 2 inches
Onion : 1big
Green Chillies: 2-3
Coconut Milk : 100 ml
Curry Leaves : 10 -12
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric :1 tsp.
Tamarind Pulp : 1/2 small tea cup 
Oil : 3 tbsp


PROCEDURE :

Clean, thoroughly wash the fish heads, marinate with little salt and sugar for half an hour. Soak the tamarind pulp in a small cup of water.

Wash and cut the ends of the lady's fingers. Wash, cut off the ends of the eggplants and then cut into halves. Rub little salt in them.

Dry roast cumin, coriander, fenugreek, mustard, 5-6 curry leaves, garlic, ginger, cinnamon together for 2-3 minutes. Now add all the dry roasted spices in a blender and turn into a smooth paste using water as required.

Peel, wash and slice the onions. Wash and cut each tomato into 4 pieces, deseed. Cut big green chillies into halves. Keep salt, turmeric and chilly powder ready along with the coconut milk. Wash the curry leaves.

Heat oil in a wide mouthed wok. Fry sliced onion till translucent. Add spice paste. Saute well for 2 minutes. Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder, mix well, stir for a minutes.

Add a big cup water. Let the curry come to boil. Drain marinade from fish heads, add to the curry. Add lady's fingers, egg plant pieces too. Cover, let cook for 2 minutes.

Remove cover, add tomato pieces, slitted green chillies, strained tamarind pulp. Pour in coconut milk. Add rest of curry leaves. Cover cook for 3 minutes.

Switch off gas stove, its done. Enjoy with piping hot steamed rice!