Chepala Pulusu / Fish Curry in Tamarind Sauce

One of the memories I have as a kid were of the days, my mom waiting on Sunday early mornings for the fish vendor, who used to sell fish and prawns on a bicycle. All the ladies from the neighborhood coming to him and the bargaining, the early morning gossips etc. I used to sit and watch while the fish vendor washed and cleaned the fish and prawns.
My grandmom makes the best fish curry I have ever tasted. From the time I started cooking I tried my grand-moms recipe, but always something or the other used to go wrong. I always used to get confused about the amount of tamarind used, my dish used to be too tangy or very less tangy..
So I decided to modify her recipe to suit my way of cooking :-)
The authentic Andhra fish curry/pulusu is made using only tamarind sauce. In my version I mixed tomato pulp and tamarind for the gravy.
This was very much liked by both my men.

What you need :

For marination :
Fish pieces : 7 or 8
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Chilli powder : 3 tsp, increase or decrease acc. to taste
Salt : acc. to taste

For gravy:
Onion : 1 big, finely chopped
Green chillies : 2, slit
Curry leaves : a few
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Chilli powder : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Coconut-Poppy seeds paste : 2 Tbsp (see notes)
Tomato : 1 big, blanch and make puree
Tamarind : size of 1 large lemon, soak in warm water and extract juice.
Coriander leaves : a handful
Oil : as required, I add around 10 Tbsp

Dry Roast and Make into fine powder :
Coriander seeds : 3 Tbsp
Cardamom pods : 6 or 7
Cinnamon : 2 inch
Jeera : 2 Tbsp
Add 2 Tbsp for the gravy. Remaining powder can be stored for future use.

1. Add oil in a wide bottomed large pan.
2. Add onions, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, turmeric. Fry till raw smell from onions and GG paste disappears.
3. Add prepared masala powder , red chilli powder and salt.Mix well.
4. Add coconut and poppy seeds paste. Fry for another few mins.
5. Layer fish pieces side by side. Reduce heat and cover and cook for 5 mins.
6. Turn the pieces very carefully and cook for another few mins.
7. Now add tamarind juice and tomato pulp.
8. Close and cook till oil floats on top and raw smell of tamarind disappears.
9. Do not mix with a spoon. But gently move the fish pieces or rotate the pan to mix.
10. Adjust salt if required. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with Steamed white rice.

Mom's Tips :
This curry tastes better the next day or after two days.
Mom advices to use Fresh water fish for better result.
To make coconut poppy seeds paste-
Grate 1 cup of fresh coconut (You can use dry coconut if you don't have fresh one)
Fry 4 Tbsp of poppy seeds in a pan with out adding oil till it emits nice aroma and slightly turns brown, and allow it to cool.(Alternatively you can soak poppy seeds in water for about an hour or two)
Add poppy seeds in the mixer and grind for a min, add a few Tbsps of water and grind again.It takes around 10 mins. Then add coconut and grind well. Add water if required. You can store this in refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.

Mango Mousse

I love mangoes in any form. Back in India, during Mangoes season there used to be a competition between me, my mom and my grand-mom, about who eats maximum number of mangoes per day. We even used to select the ripe mango before the other got up and hide it in a safe place :-) It all seems so silly when I think of it now, but it is those silly moments I enjoyed the most :-)
When my mom was first diagnosed diabetic, the first question she asked the doctor was, "Can I eat Mangoes?" And the doc answered, of-course you can eat mangoes, one or two pieces per day, or at the maximum 1 per day, and seeing the confused expression on my mom's face he asked how many she ate per day, and she coolly replied around 6 to 8. I can still remember the face of the doctor, with his jaw dropped.
Yeah we used to eat around 6 to 8 and sometimes 10 mangoes per day, skipping lunch and dinner. That is the love we have for this particular fruit.
After coming to Germany I always missed them. The mangoes we get here do not have the taste of the mangoes in India.
Whenever I crave for mangoes I get the canned ones in Indian store. Well, something is better than nothing :-)

Coming to the recipe, I made this when my friends visited us for dinner, and it was a huge hit. Luckily I made extra portions, because most of them ended up having two portions.

What you need :

Mango Pulp : 500 gms ( I used canned, you can even used fresh mangoes)
Egg whites : 4
Cream : 500 ml ( I used 38% fat cream)
Gelatin leaves : 4
Powdered Sugar : 1 cup
Lemon Juice : extracted from 2
Mango pieces and raspberries to decorate

1. If using fresh mangoes, puree the mango cubes in a blender along with sugar and lime juice, or if using canned pulp, mix together mango pulp, sugar and lime juice well. Keep aside.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
3. In another bowl beat cream till soft peaks form and is fluffy.( Before whipping, it is better you put the bowl and cream in freezer for 5 mins)
   
4. Soak gelatin leaves in cold water. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, squeeze gelatin leaves and dissolve them in hot water and add it to the mango mixture.
5. Add cream to the mango mixture and mix gently. Then add egg whites to this and fold till well combined.
6. Pour this into a dish and and refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours. Alternatively you can even spoon the mix into individual cups or glasses and refrigerate.
7. Serve chilled and enjoy !!
   

Verdict :
Utterly Heavenly. It a treat especially for a Mango lover like me.
Make sure you have extra portions, because I can ensure you no one can stop having just one portion. :-)

Potato with Soya chunks/Aloo Soya Subzi

Its becoming a challenge to cook for my son. He is such a picky eater. But he loves chicken... in any form :-) So I wanted to try a curry with soya chunks... after all its a vegetarian chicken :-) That is what we used call when we were young.
Using soya chunks is very easy and no fuss process and tasty to eat.

What you need:
Soya chunks : 1 cup
Potatoes, cubed : 1 cup
Onion : 1 small, thinly sliced
Green chillies : 2, slit
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tbsp
Curry leaves a few
Salt according to taste
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Kitchen King : 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Leaves : a handful, chopped

For Tempering:
Oil : 2 or 3 Tbsp
Split Urad dal : 1 tsp
Jeera : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

1. Boil a glass of water, add salt and soya chunks. Bring it to a boil once, turn off heat and drain the water. Squeeze the soya if you think there is more water. Keep aside. If you are not in a hurry, you can soak them in warm water with salt for 30 to 40 min and then squeeze them.
   
2. Take a deep pan, and add oil. Once hot, add urad dal, mustard seeds and jeera.
3. After the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, green chillies, onions and turmeric.
4. Fry for a min and add ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears.
5. Add potatoes, soya chunks, salt, garam masala and kitchen king.
6. Mix well and cover and cook for 10 min, or till done.
7. Adjust salt and add a handful of chopped coriander.
8. Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.

Mom's Tips :
You can even omit potatoes and make it using only soya chunks.
In the end if you feel the curry too dry, you can add 2 or 3 Tbsps of milk or cream.
If you don't have Kitchen King masala, you can add chicken masala.
I omitted red chilli powder as I was cooking for my son. If you want it spicy, add a tsp of chilli powder while adding garam masala.

My kid loved it, so I can say that it will be a sure hit if you want to try something new with your kids.

Food Event:
Sending it to the event Subzis for Rotis being hosted at Tickling Palates.

Sambar and Sambar Powder/Thick Lentil Stew with Vegetables

Sambar..its an everyday recipe in most of the households in Andhra. When I thought of posting this recipe my dear hubby asked why I wanted to post such an easy recipe. This was the scene which happened yesterday in our house...

Me: I want to post my sambar recipe today in my blog.
DH: Sambar..... but its such an easy everyday recipe, who would read that?
Me: Yes, I know.. Do you know how to make it?
DH: Of course, its a child's play.
Me: Then why don't you make sambar today?
DH: Why not? Today I will show you how to prepare traditional south Indian sambar (with a proud "only I can do it" smile on his face)

After almost 2 hrs...

Me: Its almost two hours.. what are u still doing in the kitchen?
DH: I have almost completed it... but it didn't actually turn out like the regular Sambar..I am mean it tastes good...but not like the one you make.
DH: I am not sure what went wrong.
Me : (Seeing the outcome.. of so called Sambar) What is this??? What did u add?
DH: Veggies, Tamarind juice, Sambar powder..
Me: What about Dal?
DH: DO WE NEED TO ADD DAL???

That was it.. at that moment I decided posting Sambar recipe is not at all a bad idea :-)

What do you need :

Toor Dal : 1 cup
Small Sambar onions : 10 -12 (to add as whole) OR Big Onions : 4 or 5, quartered
Assorted Veggies : 2 cups (Carrots, Radish, Bottle gourd, Drumsticks)
Tomatoes : 2, quartered
Green chillies : 2 or 3, slit ,depending on your taste buds
Curry Leaves : a few
Salt :according to taste
Sambar Powder : 2 Tbsp
Coconut powder : 1 tsp (optional)
Jaggery : 1 Tbsp (optional)
Tamarind : 1 large lemon sized (soak in hot water and extract juice)
Fresh Corriander : a handful

For Tempering/Tadka:
Ghee : 1 Tbsp
Hing : 1 large pinch
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Jeera : 1 tsp
Dry Red chillies : 2 or 3
Curry Leaves : a few

1. Pressure cook dal with 2 cups of water. Mash and keep aside. ( I grind it in a Mixer for a min)
2. Take a large cooking pot, and add 1 glasses of water(around 3oo ml). Bring it to a boil.
3. Add all ingredients from onions to curry leaves.
4. Add salt, and cover and cook for 5 mins, till half done.
5. Then add Sambar powder, Tamarind juice and cook till veggies are done.
6. Add cooked dal. Mix well. Add an extra glass of water, if you feel its too thick. Adjust salt and add more tamarind juice if required.(i like it a lil bit tangy).
7. Add coconut powder and jaggery, mix well.
8. Heat ghee a separate pan, add hing and then mustard seeds and let them splutter, red chillis and roast for a few seconds, finally add jeera . Don’t burn them. Lastly add curry leaves and immediately add to sambar.
9. Turn off heat and finally add fresh coriander.
10. Serve hot with Steamed Rice or with Idly, Dosa.
    

Mom's Tips :
Coconut powder and Jaggery can be added depending on taste. You can even omit them if you want.
Mom usually adds them when making sambar for idly or dosa. For eating with rice, she omits them.
For step 2, alternatively you can add oil and do Step 6 and then Step 3 and 4. When they are half done add water. And proceed with Step 5.

Sambar Powder :

(For approximately half a Kilo)
Dry Red Chillies : 100 gms
Dhaniya/Corriander Seeds : 150 gms
Toor dal : 50 gms
Chana dal : 50 gms
Urad dal : 50 gms
Miriyalu/Peppercorns : 50 gms
Jeera : 20 gms(2 Tbsp)
Methi seeds : 10 gms(2 tsp)
Rice : 10 gms(2 tsp)

1. Fry all ingredients seperately without oil.
2. Grind together into fine powder.
3. Store in an air tight jar.

Mom's Tips:
For long time storage, double the ingredients.
Adding a few curry leaves also gives extra flavor. Don't add too much as it gives the powder a greenish color.

Food Event :
Sambar is my entry to the event Flavors of South India, being hosted by Simply Food.


Sambar Powder is my entry to the event Back to Basics being hosted by Desi Soccer Mom.

Beat the Heat!!

What would you prefer on a late afternoon or an evening of a scorching hot day? Ice tea, chilled juice, chilled beer hmm :-) , or perhaps something with vitamins and healthy.. like a smoothie... yummmm.

I love smoothies especially with seasonal fruit. Coming to fruits, my better half doesn't very much like bananas, and my little monster doesn't like strawberries, he says it has too many small seeds :-)

One such hot evening, two men in my house were craving for something to drink, something sweet and chilled. The drink which came into my mind immediately was a smoothie, but the only fruits I had at hand were bananas and strawberries. And the only way I can make my men have the fruits they don't entertain is in the liquid form.

How I did it

You will need:

Strawberries : 1 Cup
Banana : 1 Ripe
Milk : 1 Glass ( i guess my glass measures 300 ml )
Sugar : 1 Tbsp
Honey : 1 Tbsp
(you usually do not require sugar or honey, but we like it to be more sweet)
Crushed ice

Halve the strawberries, removing the green tops. Cut the banana and put both fruits into the blender, add milk and sugar and honey(if using), and blend till smooth.
Add crushed ice and serve chilled.

Verdict :
Absolutely yummy, healthy and cooling.

Mom's Tips:
Sugar and Honey are for people with an extra sweet tooth, like us. For a more healthy recipe skip them both, or skip sugar and add just the honey.
You can also sieve it before serving, it depends on how you prefer.
You can also make it with Yogurt.

Easy Microwave Peda

Its been very long since I have had time for myself, cooked something special, spent time with my camera and blogged. I was in a total different world... with my son....

Feeding him, playing with him, running after him, watching him grow from a baby to a toddler :-) Wow.. what an experience!! It seems as if yesterday the nurse took him out and put him on my stomach.... and see how the time flies, he will be celebrating his first birthday in two weeks...

Now coming to the recipe, I prepared this for krishnashtami, I wanted something which will be completed quickly, so that I could dress up my little krishna :-)

Little Krishna

As I browsed the net, I found this recipe which I found to be very easy, mess-free and could be finished in about 15 mins.... yes you heard me right 15 mins!!!

Ingredients :

Butter : 113 grms
Milk powder : 150 grms
Sweetened Condensed Milk : 1 tin

Doodh Peda

How I did it:

1. Melt butter in microwave(Just melt it, make sure it doesnt boil). Make sure you take a deep microsafe bowl.
2. Add milk powder and condesed milk(I used Nestle Milkmaid).
3. Mix it put it in microwave for 3 to 4 mins.
4. Stop for every minute, mix it well and put it back.
5. At the end of 4 mins, you will get a nice dough like mixture.(If you do not get the right consistensy, you can continue for 2 more mins).
6. Let the mixture cool down till its warm.
7. And while warm, grease your palms with ghee or butter.
8. Take a little mixture in your palms and make small round balls and press a little to get the shape of Peda.
9. To decorate you can press a pistachio or cashew in the middle of each Peda.
10. Serve at room temperature.
    

And the Verdict:
Taste as good as they look :-)

Doodh Peda

Its A Boy!!!!

Dear All..... Finally.. after a lot of waiting... our son was born on 16th September....
Its all exciting and wonderful!!!
He is keeping me busy all day, so will be away from blogging for a while. I shall keep posting when ever I have time.