Spicy Fish Vindaloo

Pomfret Vindaloo

This is a recipe I got from my Mum's collection of recipes, painstakingly written down  when she went for cookery classes soon after her graduation.  I was frantically copying every thing down as we were leaving Bangalore for Malaysia.  Soon after I was going through my recipe book and came across this one.  The best joke is that when I made it for my Mum she said, " this is a nice .  Could you give me the recipe?!!!"  That being said, let me get on with the recipe.

The Recipe:

1, medium sized pomfret, sliced, washed and drained; 3 tbsp oil; a few coriander leaves; 1/2 a medium sized onion, sliced; salt to taste.

 Grind to a smooth paste:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp haldi; 2 pods cardamom, seeds only; 6 flakes garlic; 1 tsp jeera seeds;  3 tsp vinegar.        

Heat the oil in  a shallow non stick pan and fry the coriander leaves and sliced onion for a few minutes until onion is glazed.  Lower flame and fry the masala (ground paste) until thick.  Add 1 cup water, the sliced fish and salt to taste.  Cover and cook on a medium low flame till done.  This goes well with white rice and is one of the tastiest curries I have cooked.

Apricot Bread Pudding

An Old Favourite

This is

 An Old Favourite with a twist.  Instead of steaming or baking this bread pudding, I merely drenched it with an extra large Herbalife French Vanilla  Shake and left it to soak overnight in the refrigerator.  The result was stupendous and this is a dessert we have frequently because of it's taste, nutritional content and low calorie count.

The Recipe:

For The Shake:  500 ml low fat milk; 4 scoops (60 gms Herbalife French Vanilla Nutritional Mix; 30 gms almond powder/ meal; 1 tsp vanilla essence.  

Blend together for one minute and keep aside till required.

For The Bread Pudding: 8 slices, brown bread, buttered on one side only; 20 apricots.

Soak the apricots in warm water just enough to cover them, overnight.  Next day stone them and boil apricots in the same water till thick and soft.  Extract the kernels from the seed.  

Heat a large nonstick pan and toast brown bread on medium flame both sides till crisp and golden brown.  Layer in a glass dish.  Pour the shake over and leave to soak in the refrigerator.  When well soaked decorate with the apricots and kernels.  Drizzle the juices over.  It is so delicious, it leaves you wanting for more.

Coloured Jewelled Capsicum

Three Coloured Capsicum

I love cooking this dish because the end result is so appetising and colourful.  The brightly coloured, jewelled capsicums just beg to be eaten.  Besides, it's simple and quick and I promise, you will spend about 15 minutes in the kitchen.  It can be served as an accompaniment or eaten alone.  

The Recipe:

3 medium sized capsicums, one of each colour; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp pepper corns, crushed; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste;  1 tbsp thin soy sauce.

Wash, halve, de-seed and cut the capsicums into thin strips.  Heat oil in a non stick pan and stir fry the garlic till fragrant.  Add the capsicum and stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes only.  Lower flame, add the pepper and salt to taste.  Transfer to serving dish.  Drizzle soy sauce over just before serving.  Lip smacking delicious and crunchy to boot.

Mutton & Vegetable Stew With Spices

Mangalorean Mutton Stew

 Just looking at this photograph evokes fond memories.  And I can practically smell the savoury aroma wafting from the kitchen through the house and into the garden where we kids were playing.  This is a traditional Mangalorean dish served with ghee rice or neeru dosa for practically all festive occasions and was a special favourite with us.  Tender mutton chunks cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with spices, onions and curry leaves this is an extra special recipe.

The Recipe:

1 kg mutton with bones, cut into pieces and washed; 2 green chillies slit; 1 cup mixed vegetables, cut into pieces- I used carrots, beans and potatoes; 2 medium onions, sliced fine; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 inch piece ginger , minced; 3 large flakes garlic, minced; a handful of coriander and mint leaves, chopped; a few spring onions, cut fine;   1 cup thick coconut milk; 1 inch piece of cinnamon; 2 cloves; 2 cardamoms; salt to taste and 2 cups water; salt to taste.

Seasoning:  1 medium onion, sliced fine; 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 tbsp oil 

Heat oil in a shallow non stick pan, add the curry leaves and stir fry a minute.  Next add the onions and fry till golden brown. Remove from fire and keep aside till required

Place the washed mutton with all the ingredients except the coconut milk and vegetables in a large pressure pan and pressure cook 30 minutes or until mutton is tender.  Remove from fire, cool and open the cooker.  Add the vegetables and 1/2 cup water if required and bring to the boil.  Simmer covered until vegetables are cooked.  Now stir in the coconut milk (I used ready to use coconut milk which is a boon to the modern housewife).  Remove from heat and add the seasoning.  Serve with ghee rice or Neeru Dosa.  This is a hot favourite with most of our friends and I often cook it on request.

Fusion Quinoa Pulav

Quinoa, A Healthy Option

I have been wanting to try this recipe for sometime and a couple of weeks ago, I got the opportunity.  I had some quinoa which I had bought some time ago and I had some rice which I wanted to use.  I decided to follow my usual recipe for Pulav and use Quinoa instead.   It was really delicious and a little will make you full .  And it's also very appetising to boot and the bonus is it has less calories than the traditional pulav.

The Recipe:

125 gms rice; 125 gms quinoa; 1 tbsp olive oil to fry the rice; ½ kg chicken.  Wash and dry.  Cut into large pieces.

Blend the following to a smooth paste:  1 large pod garlic, peel, wash and cut small; ½ inch piece of ginger, wash and cut small; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 3 cloves; 1 small piece cinnamon;2 cloves; 2 cardamoms, whole;  a few coriander & mint leaves; 2 green chillies, cut small; 1 large tomato, washed and  cubed.  This is the masala.

2 large onions, sliced fine; 3 tbsp olive oil.

500 ml hot water.

Place the masala, cut chicken with salt to taste and cover and cook in a large pan till tender.  Takes about 10 minutes. Next, heat a non stick pan and fry onions till golden brown.  Reserve half for the garnish.  Add the meat to the remaining onions and fry on a medium flame till gravy is thick. 

In the meanwhile, wash and drain the rice and quinoa seperately and fry in 1 tbsp oil in a 

nonstick pan till all the grains are coated.  Transfer to rice cooker, add the chicken masala

 and 500 ml hot water and cook till done.  Garnish with halved hard boiled eggs and serve hot with Curd Salad.  A very appetising dish indeed.

Cardamom Panna Cotta

Creamy Panna Cotta Dessert

I got this idea while browsing through some recipes some time ago.  My family loves Panna Cotta and what better than a low calorie version of it.  One of the most satisfying and delicious desserts to make.  The best part, we can indulge in it any time thanks to our daily Ideal Breakfast of the Herbalife Shake.

The Recipe:

2 cups curds (yoghurt); 2 cups milk; 1/2 cup castor sugar or to taste; 12 large scoops milk powder; 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed; 20 gms gelatin; ¼ cup water; a few grapes, sliced; honey to drizzle on top (optional).

Whisk the curds, milk and sugar together.  Add the milk powder and whisk to a smooth consistency.  Heat ¼ cup water and sprinkle the gelatin over it.  Steep the bowl in a pan of simmering water until the gelatin has completely dissolved.  This takes about 15 minutes.  Pour it into the yoghurt mixture and whisk till completely mixed.  Stir in the crushed cardamom seeds.  Pour into glass bowl and transfer to the refrigerator.  When half set, arrange the sliced fruit on top (it should not sink into the pudding).  Return to refrigerator.  Drizzle honey on top just before serving.  Can make individual portions too.

Butterly Delicious Chicken

                               Chinese Butter Chicken

Indulging in food at one of our favourite Chinese Restaurants, we stumbled across a mouth watering dish called Butter Chicken.  Our tastes buds ran riot when the beautifully presented dish was brought to our table.  It had a hint of coconut milk in it and could easily pass off as a Mangalorean dish.  It is very similar to Butter Prawns and tastes just as good. I couldn't wait to make it myself.  And now that I have, here is the recipe.

The Recipe:

250 gms boneless chicken, cubed; 5 sprigs of curry leaves; 1 tbsp butter; 400ml Evaporated milk ;  (I used coconut milk);1 tsp sugar;  salt to taste.

Coating: 1/4 cup plain flour; 1/4 cup corn flour; 2 medium sized eggs, beaten.

Combine plain flour & corn flour in a bowl.  Beat up egg in a separate bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Drain and dry chicken cubes.  Heat oil in a deep pan.  Dip chicken in the beaten egg, then the flour.  Heat oil to smoking hot and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.   Drain on kitchen towels and cool.  Heat  butter in a non-stick pan, add curry leaves and stir fry till fragrant.  Pour in the evaporated milk, simmer on low fire till  thick.  Add in sugar and salt.  Pour onto chicken arranged in a serving dish .  Serve hot with plain rice.