Raw Papaya Salad

Raw papaya is a common vegetable. Here we show you how this can be grated into an amazing meal accompaniment. Mild sour and pungency is an easy and big draw anytime. And if by chance your guests are hungry, then be ready to hear them thanking and praising you for this sallad all your life. Of course, have some good spirit and share the recipe with them, better so, share this link and ask then to subscribe 🙂 

ingredients of raw papaya salad

Raw Papaya Salad

…..need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 5 to 6
• Preparation time : 15 minutes
• Serving size : 2 to 3 tablespoons

….and we need (ingredients)

• Papaya grated 2 cups : Papaya which is generally a ripened food product is rich in fibre, Vitamin C and improves digestion. Here we use raw grated papaya which is quite like a less watery and less sweet but firmer melon.
• Garlic chopped 2 teaspoon : Pungency is the reason why we use this allicin rich clove which combats sickness and common cold.
• Black mustard seeds 2 teaspoon : Good for hair, skin and Vitamin A filled, we use mustard seeds here to bring out the pungency to an all new level.
• Lemon juice 4 teaspoon : Sour effect of the dish comes from here and bring alongwith it, the Vitamin C benefits to eyes, hair and skin.
• Mustard oil 2 tablespoon : Enhancing the mustard quotient in the grease too.
• Basil chopped 1 teaspoon (use lime or cinnamon basil) : Anti aging, anti cancer, anti bacterial herb is a great garnish due to it’s sweet and mixed spice aroma.

….let’s cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Heat the mustard oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter on medium flame.
• Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Now add papaya and saute for 5 minutes on medium flame.
• Add lemon juice and mix well. Take it off the gas burner now.
• Toss it in the pan to lighten and loosen it’s texture.
• Garnish with the chopped basil and refrigerate.
• Serve when mildly cold.

Storage : Can keep refrigerated for 1 week while using it.

Missing Something ? : You can add grated green chillies if your guests prefer so. Can’t substitute or afford to miss any further.

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Rock Lobster in Garlic Butter Sauce

I am self-confessed seafood fanatic. Based out of a location in India which may be one of the furthest points in the country away from sea, this can be sometimes challenging. So when ever I decide to conjure up a seafood dish, I make sure it counts. Seafood cooking doesn’t take much time, what is expended is the process of cooking and the right flavors for it. This dish is downright spectacular in taste and you’ll find forks scooping out every bit of it and scaling off the platter in minutes after you serve it ! So cook on !!

How to clean a lobster

preparing a lobster

cutting and splitting a lobster tail

cooking a rock lobster

dressing a rock lobster

how to dress a rock lobster

Rock Lobster in Garlic Sauce

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2 to 3
• Preparation time : 30 minutes

…..and we need (ingredients)

• Rock lobster 1 (about 500 to 750 grams) : The rock lobster is a very light food and hence good to help weight loss. It is also readily available around the year in the local fish market.
• Lemon juice of 1 lemon : Besides the Vitamin C benefits to the hair and skin the lemon juice takes away the brackish smell off the seafood.
• Olive oil 4 tablespoon : Light, odourless, this is the best drizzle oil for most sea and tropical foods. Believe me it’s not so light in benefits. Olive oil is a great antioxidant, helps the heart and is anti inflammatory too.
• Kosher salt or Sea salt 1/3rd teaspoon : Away from the table salt, these salts are good with meats and bring out the flavors best.
• Garlic chopped cloves 5 to 6 : Very few of my dishes skip garlic 1. due to its amazing health benefits & 2. because it provides the right amount of pungency with almost every veggie and meat. All hail the ‘King Pungent’ !
• Black pepper crushed 1/4th teaspoon : Hot and mildly pungent, black pepper is good for digestion, skin, respiration and is a good antioxidant too. On tables across the world salt n pepper are partners in relation.
• Butter 6 to 7 tablespoons : Butter is the best grease for a grill. While some oils also do the trick but nothing separates the meat from the bones like butter.
• Chopped parsley and tomatoes 4 tablespoon : Parsley is the best mouth freshener and tomato is the right natural condiment with seafood.

….let’s cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Every step in this dish is a chef’s delight. Starting with the buying of a lobster and preparing it for cooking.
• When you have a lobster at hand, start with splitting open the lobster through its head to its tail and scooping out the tomally (i.e. the greenish-yellow stuff inside). I have a full blog on how to cut and prepare a lobster for cooking. That blog will tell you the specifics on splitting and preparing a lobster.
• Now place the lobster open side up on a platter and sprinkle sea salt and ground pepper on it. Drizzle olive oil over it and place inside a preheated microwave oven.
• Move the lobster in the grill (microwave) for 2 minutes only and then take out the platter.
• Now dress the lobster with butter and garlic and place the platter back in the grill.
• Move the lobster in the grill for 7 to 10 minutes more. By then the butter would be well melted and greased within the lobster.
• Take out now and dress with tomatoes and parsley and serve hot.

Storage : Naaaaaah !!

Missing Something ? : You can’t miss anything here. There are just 3-4 primary ingredients. 1 iteration that can be done is that during the final minute of grilling you can dress and garnish the platter with tomatoes and parsley to make them mildly cooked.

Spaghetti Cheese Balls

Cheese balls filled with spaghetti ! This is the kind of party snack that doesn’t need much convincing to promote among high energy and loud kids on a weekend afternoon or any long evening. They pack such an energy punch alongwith high grease flavor that it is an instant hit amongst kids of all ages ( 6 to 66 😉 )

Spaghetti Cheese Balls

Spaghetti Cheese Balls

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 4
• Preparation time : 20 minutes preparation + 20 minutes of cooking
• Serving size : 2 would for an average adult or a hungry child. Remember ! it’s loaded with cheese.

….and we need (ingredients)

• Butter 2 tablespoon : Good butter has high soluble fats which are a better grease than margarine. 
• Wheat flour (maida) 1/2 cup : Maida provides the layer of the batter material.
• Spaghetti boiled 1 cup : Well made spaghetti is a good source of vitamins and minerals if they are made of whole grains. They are a fun food for the kids and a great filler to our dish.
• Peas boiled and crushed 1/3rd cup : Peas are a great health food. They are believed to be low fat, low calorie and anti aging food. They also act against alzheimer and arthritis. They add the mush to our mash in this dish.
• Oregano dried 1/2 teaspoon : Bitter and pungent oregano is a great antioxidant and hence should be added to fried food. It also has anti fungal and antibacterial qualities.
• Cheese 3 cubes : With all the calcium and protein benefits, cheese here is added for it’s creamy texture and nutty essence.
• Bread crumbs 1/2 cup : Crumbs stick to the batter to prevent the filler to burst out of the ball.
• Milk 1 cup : Creamy and sticky wetness would be best to add the health benefits in this deep fried fish.
• Oil light vegetable only : This would not interfere with the flavor
• Salt to taste : Keep it low. I suggest less than a pinch for 2 cheese balls. This would enhance the flavor of other seasoning.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Crush the peas with a light rolling pin so as not to mash them completely.
• Grate the cheese cubes and keep aside.
• Heat the butter in a pan till it melts. Add the flour and cook on low flame it the maida (flour) turns pinkish.
• Add milk to this and mix well continuously stirring so as not to forms clumps. Cook like this on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till the flour thickens into a loose batter. Then take it off the flame and allow to cool.
•  Till then mix the boiled spaghetti, crushed peas, the cheese, oregano and salt and shape them into fist size balls. (fists better be a kids and not a boxers 🙂 )
• Take each ball and dip them into the cold batter and roll it into the bread crumbs. Do this routine for all the alls and set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet. Bring to high temperature and the deep fry the balls.
• Serve hot and flavorful

Storage : You can refrigerate the cheese balls (non fried) for a week easily and deep fry them as and when required.

Missing Something ? : You can skip the peas and replace the oregano with a seasoning of your choice too.

 

Flax Seeds Chutney

Honest admission ! I didn’t know that flax gave anything but linen shirts before I came across the flax seeds in the super mart. Though I picked it up in an impulse, it took me nearly 4 months to find an absolutely lip smacking use for it. This condiment is so simple to prepare and can exhume you in absolute pungency or the love of it. Read on and thank me later after you’ve made and relished it 🙂 

how to prepare flax seeds chutney

healthy flax seeds chutney tasty flax seeds chutney best ever flax seeds recipe

easy flax seeds chutney

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : It’s a chutney dip, will serve at least 10 family snacks
• Preparation time : 10 minutes of cooking + 3 minutes of grinding

….and we need (ingredients)

• Flax seeds 1 cup : Flax has a very earthy and nutty essence and is extremely rich in omega 3 fatty acids, proteins and vitamin B.
• Garlic cloves 1 cup (will contain about 25 to 30 cloves)  : The king of pungency ‘garlic’ is a good astringent and has medicinal properties of fighting sickness like common cold, sore throats etc.
• Til (Sesame) seeds 2 tablespoon : Sesame improves blood pressure, burns fats and is a good source of iron. It enhances the nutty flavor in the dip.
• Dried red chillies to taste (I picked 10) : In such a dip where we are looking to project the earthly essence, it’s always good to avoid processed and ground red chilli powder and make your own crudely pounded one.
• Sesame oil 2 tablespoon : Same essence and benefits as that of the seeds of sesame.
• Crude salt (I used ground black salt) : Crude Earthy Nutty ….. this just adds to it

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add garlic to it and saute lightly.
• Now add chillies to it and saute till the chillies are crispy and crushable.
• Take this off the flame now and allow it to cool.
• Mix the flax seeds, the rock salt, til seeds and the above cooled garlic and chilli mixture.
• Grind it all in a mixer. Be sure to take a medium to large size jar for mixing since anything smaller would not contain the flax seeds which would expand considerably on being crushed.

Storage : 18 months easily in a refrigerator.

Missing Something ? : Can replace the black salt with sea salt or the himalayan pink salt. Any crude salt would be good since that would have the earthy essence.

Rose Garden / Grilled Cauliflower

Like all my recipe, each one being relished several times over in my home, this one stands out in the category where my kid son prepared this one for his friends for their visit. I guess some of the “surrender to the pallet” also rubbed upon him. With the kids, the 1st preference is not taste but the looks of what they are offered to eat. This one has very catchy looks and great taste and it took an eye wink to prepare it. You will love the roses concept offered here and it’s a name you would want to chant while serving !! Finally, need I mention ? There is no rose in the dish 🙂 

Grilled cauliflower

quick meals

…..need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2 to 3 sparkling eyed toddlers or 2 grown ups
• Preparation time : 1 hour to marinate + 30 minutes to prepare
• Serving size : It will be a race as to who can gobble more

….and we need (ingredients)

• Cauliflower florets 8 to 10 medium to small (would be around 500 grams) : I would introduce cauliflower as an undergraduate cousin of the post graduated broccoli. Cauliflower is a very nutritious vegetable which helps fight cancer, heart diseases, inflammation & excessive weight. 
• Beetroot juice 1 cup : With a unique and strong flavor anything of beetroot catches the eye of the kids due to it’s rosy accent. This juice is also a power packed cup of health. It’s a strong detox, manages blood pressure and sugar and is good for digestion.
• Potatoes boiled and chopped in halves, 4 to 5 : With virtually no sodium, no fats and no cholesterols and packed with potassium and Vitamin C  this fibre rich tuber veggie is undoubtedly one of the most famous ones across the globe.
• Salt ‘n pepper : Ask your taste buds for their saline history 🙂
• Chaat masala 1/2 teaspoon : Blend of spices, this masala by name is meant to tingle your taste buds sour. Favorite with the kids.
• Coriander chopped 2 teaspoon : It’s the most famous garnish in India. No one in the race clearly.

….time to cook ‘n roll (cooking instructions)

• Wash and pat dry the cauliflower florets. Dry them well else the the color would not come out as pretty as expected.
• Warm the beetroot juice for 2 minutes and then decant it into a small mixing bowl.
• Add salt and pepper to it and mix well.
• Put the cauliflower florets into this juice such that they drench well.
• Keep them covered & soaked for 1 hour, preferably under refrigeration.
• Get some toothpicks to stake. Pierce and stake the cauliflower florets with the toothpicks from one side and further stake them over the semi cut boiled potatoes.
• Place the platter in a well heated grill and grill them for 20 minutes. Check midway to confirm the softness of the florets. I like mine a bit crunchy so 20 minutes were good enough. Do not overcook else the potatoes below will get spoiled.
• Serve hot after sprinkling chaat masala and further garnishing with chopped coriander.
• Prepare to collect the toothpicks from the empty platter after 10 minutes 🙂

Storage : Small helping won’t need storage. Do not plan to store please.

Missing Something ? : You can change the garnish from coriander to parsley and from chaat masala to garam masala for a mature gathering.

Stuffed Tomatoes / Bharve Tamatar

A most visually thrilling dish with amazing tummy fill and an undeniable taste. Rich and healthy and unbelievably easy to prepare it gives a strange satisfaction to the cook as well. “Youngsters of all ages” will be hooked on to the platter till the last tomato disappears. Since I pluck the tomatoes from my garden, I can choose the size, the firmness and the color to max the delight of my patrons 🙂 !! You’ll enjoy serving this and be queerly amused to watch them disappear within minutes..

recipes by ingredients

stuffed tomatoes

stuffed tomatoes

tasty stuffed tomatoes

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 3 to 4
• Preparation time : 45 minutes total
• Serving size : 2 to 3 each

….and we need (ingredients)

• Tomatoes (medium to large) 8 :
• Onion chopped 2 :
• Garlic chopped 5 to 6 cloves :
• Potatoes boiled and mashed 4 :
  • Ginger chopped 2 inches :
• Coriander chopped 2 to 3 tablespoons :
• Garam masala 1 teaspoon :
• Cumin 1 & 1/2 teaspoon :
• Oil vegetable 2 tablespoon : Preferably a light one so as not to interfere in taste and fragrance and just provide the greasing required.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Slice off the tops of the tomatoes in a cap form and remove the pulp from inside. Keep all three derivatives i.e. pulp, main shell and the cap separately to be used later in the dish.
• Heat the oil in a pan till it smokes a bit. Add the chopped onions and the garlic till the onions turn golden brown. All on medium flame. Add ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
• Now add the mashed potatoes, the tomato pulp, garam masala and salt and mix properly. It should cook well for 6 to 7 minutes again on medium flame only. Raising the flame level will burn the veggies.
• Take this stuffing off the flame and allow to cool only enough for you to handle with fingers but not enough to douse the flavors.
• Fill this stuffing in the tomatoes evenly and top the shell with the earlier removed caps. Use a toothpick to secure the caps to the filled shells properly.
• Now heat oil again in the same pan. After 30 seconds on high reduce the flame to medium and add the cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds crackle and sputter and then add the stuffed tomatoes in the pan.
• Turn the tomatoes and let them roll over. They are well secured with the toothpick. Now cover the pan and let them cook for 10 minutes on low flame.
• Now take them off and platter them hot with coriander garnish. Watch the delights around !!

Storage : 1 week refrigeration allowed easily.

Missing Something ? : You can green chillies to the mashed potatoes if you want to increase the Xing quotient. Many folks also add boiled peas to the potatoes too. Both iterations allowed 🙂

Leek & Coriander Cream Soup

Soup is a constant evening mini meal in our household. Though sufficient has been said about the benefits of eating your soup before your meal but same cannot be said about the practice. We simply do not eat enough of this health loaded food means. In many countries and many races a soup or an iteration of a soup is often a complete meal. Traditionally soups are bracketed in 4 classifications. 1st would be red and hot looking soups with tomato as it’s base. 2nd would be the white base soup which is the cream of the main ingredient soup. The 3rd one is a mixed soup loaded with ingredients called a broth. Finally, the last type would be the clear soup with near transparent look. 

recipes by ingredients of cream of leek and coriander soup

cooking the leek and coriander cream soup

cream of leek and coriander soup

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2
• Preparation time : 40 minutes
• Serving size : 1 cupfull each

….and we need (ingredient)

• Leek 4 inches piece : Amazingly tasty onion family veggie. It grows super easily in any garden and requires minimum taking care. They are milder and more flavored than an onion. It is also very healthy for blood vessels, bones, heart, digestion, vision etc.
• Coriander 1 bunch : Again, this comes straight from my garden. Gives an orangy zest, coriander is again a blood regulator.
• Extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon : Extra virgin oil ensures that there is no inherent flavor in this oil.
• Butter 1 tablespoon : Mild brackish taste of butter adding to the body building benefits.
• Maida (Fine Wheat Flour) 2 tablespoon : Fine flour adds to the viscosity of the soup without disturbing its flavor and fragrance. This just impacts the texture of the soup.
• Milk 2 cups : The cream base and the base of the healthiness of the soup too. It gives white color and mild sour flavor as well. Eating this soup will also make a kid get the calcium, protein and potassium of the milk in a very different way.
• Salt & Pepper to taste : as always 🙂

….time to cook ‘n roll (cooking instructions)

• Heat a pan and melt butter in it. Add the oil in it. Heat on medium flame for 1 minute.
• Add chopped leek and coriander to it and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the maida in it and keep moving so as not to form any lumps. While doing so gradually pour 1 cup water. Stir properly so as not to form lumps.
• Add salt and pepper to it as per your taste and mix well. Keep cooking for 2 minutes further.
• Take off the flame when the water has reduced to half of original either by cooking or by soaking in the flour.
• Take this and add milk to it and grind coarsely. Grinding intensity is your choice. you can grind finer for thicker soups or grind very coarsely to enjoy the bits of veggies in your mouth while eating your soup. I prefer the 2nd option.
• Now take this ground mixture and cook 3 to 4 minutes further and serve hot and steaming to all the eager ones waiting !!

Storage : Dont store, the cream might get sour.

Missing Something ? : Light cream can be used instead of milk. But milk is obviously easier to lay hands upon.

Thums Up Chicken / Cola Chicken

This is a sure shot winner when it would come down to turning heads. If the name won’t entice them then unique flavor will not make them fake it anymore. You’ll surely get hmmms and ohhhhs for a response here. With least of trouble and a handful of ingredients, this recipe is a candy eating, chicken drooling, unconventional junkie’s alms. Prepared with the iconic, undefeated cola soda of India aka Thums Up, this can be used as a great brunch, evening snack and even a light luncheon or dinner routine. Oooogle on !

tasty easy recipes

tasty easy recipes

tasty easy recipes

kid friendly recipes

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 2 gobblers
• Preparation time : 30 mins marinate + 20 minutes cooking
• Serving size : 2 pieces each

….and we need (ingredients)

• Chicken pieces 4 to 6 : Chicken is easily the most popular non vegetarian food and it brings with itself health benefits like essential proteins, vitamins and minerals. That helps in weight loss, regulating cholesterol. However every second you over cook a food, you are losing some nutrition off it.
• Thums Up 500 ml pet bottle would do : Acknowledgements to Coca Cola India to continue Thums Up even despite Coke being their flagship. Thums Up has a fizz and flavor which makes it the number 1 preference in India.
• Salt 1/2 teaspoon : Need this to sour the dish and also from not letting go foul soon.
• Basil leaves roughly broken (not chopped), I used lime basil here : Basil fragrance bring freshness to the otherwise sweet and sour flavor.
• Lemon juice 1/3 teaspoon : It rings the zesty sour flavor and helps in digestion of the dish too. 

…..time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Wash and dry well the chicken pieces.Now use rub half the salt and half the lemon juice on them and keep aside, preferably cold and covered for 30 mins.
• Now mild heat a shallow pan (meaning short of crackling on dropping drops of water) and pour the Thums Up in the same.
• Cook well for 5 mins on high flame now till it reduces to 75% of original.
• Add the chicken pieces to this and continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Bring the flame to medium heat and add remaining salt. Cook for further 10 minutes approximately or till the broth thickens considerably. How thick you’d like your broth would depend on the type of meal you want to have the dish for. In a snacking hour you can bring it to near dry, whereas during main meals you need to leave some fluidity there.In either case make sure that the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
• Good way to check whether your chicken is cooked or not is by poking and fiddling around near the bones. The eat and the bones should separate easily for a well done cooking.
• Now put this on a platter, sprinkle the remaining lemon juice and garnish with broken basil leaves.

Storage : Dont store please. Eat hot and immediately. It hasn’t taken any cumbersome time or ingredients, so you can do it again next time, don’t cook to store.

Missing Something ? : You can flip the lime basil with cinnamon or even thai basil. Remember to break the leaves and garnish and not chop. It matters, really !St

Jimikand Ki Sabzi / Yam Gravy / Yam Curry

Jimikand is also called elephant yam or elephant foot yam and in the first look gives an impression of an ugly and disfigured dusty lump of some wild vegetation. Am also at awe about the one who actually discovered the way to cook yam. It is rather a queer one. Native tuber of tropical areas of Asia and Africa, it also blossoms edible greens and has amazing health benefits.  Cooked in this way it also turns out to be a beautiful sight. Hold your skillets and read on….

ingredients for a healthy eating

How to prepare Jimikand

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 4 @ lunch or dinner
• Preparation time : 30 mins
• Serving size : 3 to 4 tablespoons or 1 medium bowl

….and we need (ingredients)

• Jimikand / Yam 500 gms : It has a potato like flavor with some texture of sweet potato. They are a good source of Vitamin C hence good for bones and immunity.
• Lemon 1 : Again a great source of Vitamin C supporting weight loss and digestion, lemon carries the mild tangy flavor to the dish.
• Tomatoes 2 : Filled with potassium, magnesium and Vitamin A, C & K, tomatoes form the base of the gravy.
• Ginger 2 & 1/2 inch : Warm and zesty flavor is accompanied with antioxidant, antinflammatory benefits.
• Yogurt (hung curd) 1/3 cup : This forms the part of the gravy and milds the earthiness of yam. Wonderful digestive and food regulator.
• Mustard Oil 100 grams : Enhances the pungency created in the dish alongwith mustard seeds.
• Heeng (asafoetida) 2 pinches : Heeng controls blood flow and sugar level and further adds pungency.
• Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon) : Sour flavor and good source of Vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acids.
• Cumin 1/2 teaspoon : Great digestive, boosts immunity, antiviral, antibacterial, the cumin has an earthy and musky flavor. Cumin is the 2nd most used spice in the entire world.
• Turmeric 1/4 teaspoon : Turmeric blends well with mustard and gives an amazing yellow orange color to the dish. It has a mild pungent & bitter essence. It is a wonderful antioxidant and antiinflammatory.  
• Coriander powder 1 teaspoon : Coriander lowers blood sugar and pressure and is a great digestive besides bringing light citrus flavor to the gravy.
• Garam masala 1/3 teaspoon : It is the undeniable king of spices in an Indian kitchen. Traditional Indian spice concoction is good for lowering blood sugar, pain, helps digestion, promotes weight loss and immunity.
• Curry patta (curry leaves) 4 : Amazingly helpful for heart, hair and skin, the curry leaves have an extreme aromatic fragrance.
• Coriander 2 teaspoon : Top garnisher across the world.
• Salt to taste : I used 3/4 th teaspoon. Choice of salt is always your own !!

….time to cook ‘n roll (cooking instructions)

• Chop the ginger and tomatoes.
• Make a crude paste of yogurt, tomatoes and ginger.
• Chop the yam in flat 1 to 1 & 1/2 inch square pieces.
• Now heat a skillet and fry the yam pieces sufficiently to dry off the sap but retain the softness of the vegetable. This is an extremely  critical and unique step in cooking yam. You do not do this and all your guests and family will be choking and coughing madly. Take off and set aside.
• Now heat 3 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Add the cumin, mustard seeds and heeng and make the seeds crackle on medium flame.
• Add coriander powder, turmeric, curry leaves and the paste mix of curd, ginger and tomato and saute well for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Now add the previously fried jimikand, 1 & 1/2 glass water and salt to taste and mix well.
• Cook well for 10 minutes. Keep checking for the softness of the vegetable (i.e. it should not get mushy) and thickness of the gravy (your choice of viscosity).
• Now add garam masala and garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve covered and hot.

Storage : Can be refrigerated and eaten in bits for 7 days.

Missing Something ? : All i can think of for supplementing is black with yellow mustard seeds and garnishing with 1/2 teaspoon chopped mint leaves instead of  2 teaspoon of coriander.

Bhapa Ilish / Steamed Hilsa Fish Curry

One thing absolutely fascinates me about bengali food is to prepare a delicacy out of simplest of things and by the simplest of means. This steamed hilsa fish recipe is legendary. Hilsa or Ilish as it is popular in bengal and bangladesh is a herring specie. In fact it is the national fish of Bangladesh and rampantly flourishes in the Ganga delta called the Sundarbans. Ilish has hard and tough bones and is oily in texture. It is a great weekend lunch or a slowly cherished dinner delicacy best enjoyed with steamed rice which being bland further enhances the flavor of the fish. 

Bengali Cut Ilish Maach

Ingredients of Bhapa Ilish

Steaming of Bhapa Ilish or Hilsa Fish

Simple and Authentic Bhapa Ilish Recipe

….need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 4 (with rice)
• Preparation time : 30 minutes cooking + 2 hours marinate
• Serving size : 2 – 3 pieces each

….and we need (ingredient)

• Hilsa Fish or Ilish Maach (Bengali cut) 750 grams : Your vendor will do the bengali cut for you. Hilsa is oily, rich in omega 3 fatty acids. You need to savour it yourself to understand why it is a bengali obsession.
• Mustard seeds 2 teaspoon (1 teaspoon yellow + 1 teaspoon black i.e. rai) : The sputtering of mustard seeds adds an aroma of mild roast to the dish.
• Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon (1/2 for marinade + 1/2 for cooking) : Turmeric blends best in most Indian fish cuisine. It is a great compliment to mustard and fish and helps in detoxification too.
• Green Chillies 2 to 3 : What’s a pungent fish without the heat and the Vitamin E of green chillies !
• Ginger 1 inch cut piece : This brings the natural hot zest flavor to the dish. It is also a muscle relaxant and prevents nausea and inflammation.
• Mustard Oil 2 1/2 tablespoon : Mustard oil is a natural choice for pungent cooking. This is also high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
• Salt to taste : I use moderate salt to not overpower the pungency of mustard which is most critical.

….time to cook ‘n roll cooking instructions)

• Marinate the fish with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 2 hours.
• Grind the mustard seeds (both black and yellow), chillies and ginger coarsely.
• Now boil 3 cups water in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Place the fish in it and cook on medium flame till water reduces to half.
• Now add the ground paste to it and mix well such that all of it goes deep and well into the fish. Now cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add mustard oil and turmeric to this now and steam covered for 20 minutes.
• After 15 minutes check whether the fish is cooked well or not. If done then take off and serve hot with rice.

Storage : Can be refrigerated for 1 week easily but do not re-heat more than 1 to 2 time since the fish itself has lots of oils in it which will get spoiled and the fish will loose its texture.

Missing Something ? : Nothing can be changed in this, there are just too few ingredients to rethink. Only iteration allowed is probably using just yellow mustard instead of both yellow and black.