Tag: India

Blowfish Masala Fry

(2 Servings)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ever since we moved to NYC I have been looking to find the all time Mumbai favorite fish – “the Bombay duck” or Bombil but have not been able to. If you are from Mumbai, you would know the crispy bombil fry that is a staple of Konkan homes. Having said that, we did find a new rare find in blowfish. This fish tastes very similar to Bombay duck but is fleshier with less bones. Also, if you are worried about the poisonous variety of blowfish don’t worry. The variety you get in America is non-poisonous. This fish is not very common, but if you do see it, I would recommend buying it. For this recipe you could substitute other white fish, such as tilapia or mahi-mahi, if you do not get blowfish.

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Golden Yogurt (with Turmeric & Saffron)

(2 servings)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

It feels like turmeric is the flavor of the month. You see it being served in lattes and mochas in cafes and even grocery stores seem to be selling fresh turmeric. And why not -Turmeric is a spice known to have great immune system benefits and an anti inflammatory. It is also know to have cancer fighting properties! I decided to make a mix of turmeric and saffron drink with yogurt reminiscing the drink I had in Mumbai as a kid called ‘piyush’ which is made with saffron and a thick yogurt called shrikhand. Just feels so healthy! If you are not a yogurt but more of a milk person, just substitute the yogurt for hot milk to make a latte!

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 pinches saffron (soaked in 4 tablespoon water)
  • 4 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced

Method:

Soak the saffron in about 4 tablespoon of water. This lets the color from the saffron deep out and mix better with the yogurt. Mix all the ingredients together and whisk. Too much turmeric can make the drink bitter but if you like it that way you can increase the amount of turmeric in your drink by a bit. Top with a couple strands of saffron and serve!

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Crispy Broccoli Potato Cutlets

(4 Servings)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Our little one is still just a month old, but we are already beginning to think of different ways and recipes for the future where she will be able to consume her greens more easily. Looking at my niece and nephews, I know it’s a huge pain to make children eat vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. But with just a little effort and some innovative recipes, you will be able to get them to have these veggies without even noticing them! This crispy broccoli potato cutlet recipe is every parent’s dream food. You will be able to get your kids to eat a healthy portion of their daily requirement of vegetables this way. You can use the same recipe to substitute other vegetables such as cauliflower, peas, spinach or fenugreek leaves! For the spinach and fenugreek leaves just make sure to drain all excess water after steaming before mixing with the mashed potatoes.

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Thali Sweet

(6 servings)

Preparation Time: 8 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 9 hours

This next dessert recipe is a family secret! I waited every year for Christmas for my godmother to make this oh so delicious cake  or ‘thali sweet’ as it’s known in India and come over with it so I could devour it in one sitting. I decided the world needed to know this recipe and my god mother was so kind to share her recipe with me. This is not a very common sweet in India and eaten commonly among the East Indian community. Thali literally means plate probably referring to the steel trays in which they are traditionally baked. The main ingredients are coconut and semolina and the key is to bake the cake just right so the center remain slightly moist! It’s eaten at Christmas but for me every day would be thali sweet day if possible!

Ingredients:

  • 100 g fine semolina
  • 240 g powdered sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g salted butter
  • 60 g chana dal
  • 60 g desiccated coconut or fresh scraped coconut
  • 50 g almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 20 ml rose water
  • 1/2 teaspoon rose essence (optional)

Method:

Whisk the butter in a whisking bowl and then keep adding sugar spoon by spoon and whisk with butter till all sugar is added. Then separate egg whites and add only yokes to the mix of sugar and butter. Add 20 ml rose water.

Separately whisk the egg whites till frothy and stiff. You would know when they are stiff enough. Tip: when you tilt the bowl slightly you should not see any liquid running out. Fold in the egg whites little by little into the mixture till all of of the egg white is added. Keep this mixture overnight or for at least 5-6 hours in the refrigerator.

 

Soak Chana dal in water for about 2 hours and then pressure cook till well done. About 3 whistles. Drain and mash the cooked lentils or grind to paste with the desiccated coconut. Add in about a tablespoon of water if needed to get a smooth paste. Add this to the mixture along with the semolina.

Now stir the whole mixture together and finally add the almond extract and the rose essence also big with almond flour. No baking powder is needed for his recipe. Grease baking tray and pour about 1.5 inch thickness and bake till done at about 380 F for about 40 minutes.

This would vary based on the size of tray and thickness of mixture. The key is when you pierce the cake with a toothpick the pick should come out clean.

Top with sweet coconut flakes and serve with vanilla ice cream!!!

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Kokum Twist

(1 Serving)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Kokum or Garcinia Indica is a fruit bearing tree that has numerous culinary uses. The outer cover of the fruit is dried in the sun and then used in various recipes in India. Kokum yields a peculiar tangy, sour flavor and a blackish red color. It is often used as a souring agent as an alternative to tamarind or mango powder in curries in dishes from Goa and the Konkan region in southern India. Kokum squash or concentrate can also be used to prepare a sweet juice if you are in the mood for a mocktail. Dried kokum is readily available in most Indian stores or online. I had a lot of this dried kokum stored in my refrigerator and decided to get creative with a cocktail recipe that came out brilliant. Do try it out!

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