Fish Ball

February 28, 2019March 17, 2019 Leave a comment

I have a great fish ball childhood memory . It was indeed a fiesta every time a fish ball was cooked in my mom’s kitchen. And now I cook the same for my children since this is the only form of fish that they relish and enjoy. Fish balls are made with fish boiled in its broth and then deep fried. The only difficult part is removing the bones from the fish. But since the end result is so outstanding that one would definitely forgo the tough part. It is worth every effort you spend making it. Enjoy the fish ball as a snacks or a main course along with tarter sauce or any other chutney of your choice .

Ingredients:

Fish : 500 GM’s( Any fish of your choice)

Onion: 2 chopped

Ginger: 1tsp

Garlic : 1tsp

Green chilli : 6

Coriander : chopped

Garam masala powder :1 Tsp

Lemon juice :1 Tsp

Bread crumb : as required

Maida : 2 tsp

Oil : for frying

Salt : as per taste

For the broth :

Ginger : 1 inch

Garlic :4 to 5 pod

Black cardomom : 1

Pepper corn :8 to 10

Cinnamon stick

Onion :1 roughly sliced

Venigar :1 tsp

Salt : as per taste

Step 1

Boil the fish along with ginger, garlic, black cardamom, pepper corn, onion, salt, venigar and a teaspoon of oil for about 15 minutes.once done let it cool and then debone the fish and mash it.

Step 2

Take a pan and saute onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli along with salt and lemon juice.

Step 3

Once done pour it over that fish mash and sprinkle garam masala powder over it.

Step 4

Give them all a nice mix and keep it aside.

Step 5

Apply oil in your palam and make balls out of it

Step 6

In a bowl make a semi thick batter of maida and salt. In a seperate bowl place the bread crumb and keep it aside .

Step 7

Now dip the balls first in the slurry and then roll in the bread crumbs.

Step 8

Pour oil in the pan and deep fry the balls until it turns golden brown and crispy.

Step 9

Take it out and serve with sauce of your choice

Tip

Add a little extra oil while frying the onions as this will keep the fish balls moist.

One can also add pudina leaves to make it even more flavourful.

Jackfruit Biryani ( कटहल की बिरयानी )

February 21, 2019March 17, 2019 1 Comment

Jackfruit is in the season and hence I thought of making something interesting out of this tropical and juicy fruit. And when I shared the idea of kathal biryani with my foodie son, he was sceptical with this version of biryani since he is a hard core meat lover. But once he tasted, it was all yum and enjoyment. And once approved by him, I thought of sharing the same in my blog. It turned out to be an exotic dish with the unparalleled taste of jackfruit combined together with immensely flavourful and aromatic rice. Kathal biryani is indeed a must try one pot meal for all the vegetarian food lovers. Do try it yourself and I am sure that the taste will have a lasting effect on you .

Enjoy my take on the kathal biryani

Ingredients:

For the rice:

Basmati rice : 400gms ( washed and soaked for at least half an hour)
Ghee : 2 tsp
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Green cardamom: 2
Black cardamom : 1
Bay leaf : 4
Kewra essence :2 drops
Rose water : 1 Tsp
Saffron : 2 pinch soaked in 4 Tsp of warm milk
Salt as per taste

For kathal

Kathal : 200 gms
Curd : 7 to 8 Tsp
Fried onion :3 ( keep aside few for garnish)
Corriander powder : 2 tsp
Turmeric powder : ½ Tsp
Garam masala powder : 1tsp
Salt as per taste
Bay leaf: 2
Pepper corn :10 to12
Green cardamom: 2
Black Cardomom :2
Cinnamon :1 inch
Ghee :2 tsp

For green masala

Coriander : One small bunch
Green chilli : 6 to 7
Ginger : 2 inch
Garlic pod : 8 to 10

Step 1:Grind coriander leaves, Ginger, garlic and green chillies into a paste.

Step 2:Boil rice along with ghee, salt and whole garam masala. Once done strain the water and keep the rice aside. Don’t over cook the rice. Let it be ¾ done .

Step 3:Fry thinly sliced onion and drain it out in an absorbent paper.

Step 4:Boil kathal with salt, turmeric and one Tsp of curd until it is ½ done. Strain it out.

Step 5:Marinate kathal with curd, green masala,fried onion,turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt.

Step 6:Add oil in a thick bottom pan. Add the whole garam masala along with bay leaf and saute them until they release the aroma.

Step 7:Add the marinated kathal and give it a good stir.

Step 8:Cover it and let it cook on a low flame until it is ¾ done. Do not add water to it just sprinkle a few drops of required.

Step 9:Once done cover the kathal evenly with the cooked rice. Top the rice with kewra, Rose water, saffron milk, fried onion, ghee and garam masala powder.

Step 10:Cover the lid and place the pan on hot tawa at a low flame and let it slow cook on dum for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 11:

Serve it hot with and enjoy with raita of your choice.

Tip:

Raw and unripe jackfruit should be used for a perfect dish.

Little Hearts 💓

February 11, 2019March 17, 2019 2 Comments

With Valentine day just around the corner what better way to celebrate the spirit of love than with a delicious heart shaped cutlets. These little hearts are a delightful combination of boiled potatoes and beetroot stuffed with mozzarella cheese that is crunchy from outside and soft inside. Try this simple recipe on this valentine day and surprise your loved ones with the little hearts.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 3 boiled and mashed

Beetroot 1 boiled and grated

Capsicum 1 chopped

Ginger 1tsp grated

Green chilli 3to4

Onion 1

Coriander leaves 2 tsp

Lemon juice ½ Tsp

Mozzarella cheese cut into cubes

Schezwan chutney 2 tsp optional

Bread crumb as required

Maida 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Oil for frying

Step 1Boil potato and beetroot. Mash the potatoes and grate the beetroot . Keep it aside.

Step 2Chop the onion, Ginger, green chilli, capsicum and coriander leaves.

Step 3Add oil in a pan. Once hot add the onion. Saute it along with the rest of the chopped vegetables, grated beetroot, Ginger and salt.

Step 4Add the Schezwan chutney and lemon juice and give them all a good mix.

Step 5Pour the mixture over the mashed potatoes and combine them all together.

Step 6Apply oil in your hand and maka a roll out of it. Add the cheese cube in the centre.

Step 7And then shape it like a heart. You can even take help of 💓 shaped cookie cutter. Once done set the cutlets aside.

Step 8In a bowl mix together maida and water and make a slurry. In seperate plates spread the dry maida and bread crumb.

Step 9Now take the cutlets one by one and first roll it over the dry flour. Next dip it into the maida slurry and then finally coat it with the bread crumb. Repeat the same process with the rest of the cutlets.

Step 10Heat oil in the pan. Shallow fry the cutlets till they turn golden brown.

Step 11Serve it with green chutney and enjoy the valentine day.

Tip

If the potato mixture appears to be soggy you can add a couple of Tsp of cornflour or breadcrumbs into it.

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf)

February 3, 2019March 17, 2019 Leave a comment

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf) is a classic one pot meal where Pearl shaped mutton balls are placed over the spiced and aromatic rice. I owe this timeless recipe to my dearest aunt who herself is a living culinary legend. She is a treasure of lost recipes and hence I thought of celebrating few of her splendid recipes by travelling back in time for gastronomical experience so that it may be preserved for the next generation. My Chachi (Aunt) is a perfectionist and I hope to keep the मोती ( Pearl ) of her cuisine shining high. It might appear to be a complicated dish but believe me , it is worth all the hard work. Happy cooking !!!

Ingredients:

For the pulao

Basmati rice :750 gms ( Soaked for about half an hour)

Saffron :12 string soaked in 4 tsp of lukewarm milk

Kewra (केवड़ा) essence :½ tsp

Rose water: 1 tsp

Ghee :2 tsp

Onion : 2 thinly sliced

Onion : 2 roughly sliced

Shah jeera :2 tsp

Cinnamon stick :2

Bay leaf : 5 to 6

Salt : as per taste

For mutton balls

Mutton mince 300 gms

Onion : 2 diced

Bay leaf 3 to 4

Black cardamom 2

Green cardamom 2

Ghee :4 tsp ghee

Salt as per taste

Silver vark : as required

For grinding

Green chilli : 8

Garlic pod :12

Ginger : 2 inch

Black cardamom :1

Green cardamom :2

Cinnamon stick:2

Coriander seed :1 tsp

Step 1

Deep Fry sliced onion . Take it out in an absorbent paper and keep it aside.

Step 2

Grind together garlic ,green chilli,, ginger and whole garam masala into a smooth paste.

Step 3

Mix the paste along with keema and salt. Here I have also grinded the mutton mince so that the it may be easy to make a ball out of it.

Step 4

Make small balls out of the keema.

Step 5

Take water in a cooking vessel and add bay leaf, onion, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, ghee and salt. Water level should be such that the balls soaks into it. First let the water come to a boil. Once hot gradually place the koftas one by one into the water. At this stage do not stir the koftas and let it poach in the water until it completely dries up.

Step 6

Once the ball becomes dry and firm, add a tsp of ghee and stir it until it gets a nice colour and coating over it.

Step 7

Take the balls out and coat the balls with silver vark. keep it aside.

Step 8

Wash and soak rice for at least half an hour. Later strain out the water and spread it out.

Step 9

Take a cooking vessel and add 2 tsp of ghee into it. Once hot add the shah jeera along with bay leaf , garam masala and onion.

Step 10

Add the rice and Fry them all properly.

Step 11

Now add the water accordingly and cover it. Let it Cook on low flame.

Step 12

When ¾ done, open the lid and add the kewra, rose water and saffron milk. Place the Pearl over the top and sprinkle the fried onion over it.

Step 13

Cover the pan and place it on the top of a tawa. Lower the flame and let it Cook for another 10 minutes or until all the aroma infuses in the rice.

Step 14

Serve it hot along with raita.

Tip:

One needs to be a little careful while using the vark as it may stick on the hands while applying it.

Use dropper to infuse the kewra and rose water into the rice. This technique enables the fragrance to infuse uniformly in the pulao.

Nandini's Blog : Spice & Secret

Welcome to the fabulous world of diverse, delicious and easy to cook food which is traditional yet modern.

Month: February 2019

Fish Ball

Jackfruit Biryani ( कटहल की बिरयानी )

Little Hearts 💓

मोती पुलाव ( Pearl Pilaf)