Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Spicy Masala Shrimp (prawns)

We went to the fish-stall yesterday and bought shrimp as they looked quite fresh in their shells. The store-keeper was very helpful and offered to de-shell as well as de-vein the prawns. How nice! Obviously, we took up on the offer and brought home about a 1/4 kg of cleaned prawns.

Prawns sauteed in butter and seasoned with freshly ground pepper and salt tastes divine. However, it is not so healthy. But then, prawns being what they are, they taste quite divine when cooked with desi spices too.
Spicy Masala Prawns
Ingredients (makes enough for 2-3):
[Don't be daunted by the long list. The recipe is quite easy to make.]

Marinate:
1/4 kg cleaned prawns
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chili powder
3 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together and leave in fridge overnight or outside for a couple of hours.

To Season:
Oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 broken red chillis
1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
7-8 torn curry leaves

To cook:
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 long green chilli, chopped fine
25 shallots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (optional)
1/2 tsp fennel powder
Oil
Salt

Method:

[Remember to bring prawns to room temperature before starting to cook.]
1. Put a wide non-stick pan on a stove on medium heat and add oil enough to coat base of the pan.
2. Add the seasoning ingredients in the following order: mustard seeds and red chilis. When mustard begins to crackle, add hing followed by curry leaves.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilis. Stir all the while to make sure nothing burns.
4. When the above mixture begins to turn color, add chopped coriander leaves and stir for a couple of seconds.
5. Toss in the onions and sufficient salt (remember, you have already added some salt to the prawns).
6. Stir fry the onions till they turn golden-brown and then add in the masala powders other than fennel powder (chili, dhania, turmeric, pepper, garam masala, kashmiri chili).
7. Stir fry for a few seconds and then add in chopped tomatoes and mix in well.
8. Add about 2-3 tbsp of water, cover the pan, lower the heat and allow it to cook till the tomatoes turn mushy (about 2-3 minutes).
9. Increase the heat, uncover the pan and continue stir frying till all the water has almost evaporated
10. Toss in the prawns and spread them so each prawn has contact with base of the pan.
11. Once the prawns have changed color, flip them and cook the other side.
12. Prawns cook really fast - so steps 10 and 11 should be done in under 3 minutes. Do not overcook prawns or they will become rubbery.
13. Adjust salt as necessary. Sprinkle fennel powder and mix it in to spread it evenly.
14. Switch off heat and serve after 10 minutes or so. If you plan to serve later, when you reheat, try to do it on the stove and  reheat only till the prawns masala heats through (about 1-2 minutes).

Goes very well with hot, steamed rice or if you are feeding tongues of steel, as an appetizer by itself!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Poha (aval upma)

Long before the very-similar-to-make Sabudana kichdi joined the list of quick-meals, poha was already a permanent member. I had never heard of poha till I went to grad school where a whole bunch of Maharashtrian friends swore by it. Seeing how easy it was to make and how satisfying the end result was, I was hooked. Poha has got me through many days of "I don't want to spend much time cooking but I want to eat a nice, hot meal".
A spoonful of poha

Ingredients (enough for two):
Poha (aval) - 1 cup
Onion - 1, medium-sized, chopped
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chilis - 3, broken
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup, de-skinned and broken into halves
Jeera - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp (or to taste)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Oil - 1.5 tsp
Salt

Method:
1. Soak the poha by placing poha in a dish and pouring enough water to cover. Poha absorbs water pretty well and pretty fast so you will probably need a little more water beyond just covering the poha.
2. Place a pan on the stove on medium heat and add the red chillies and the jeera.
3. When jeera begins to crackle, add the onions and stir fry till the onions turn lightly golden.
4. Add the turmeric, salt and peanuts and continue stirring till the raw smell of turmeric disappears. Onions should only be lightly cooked, not roasted to a brown color.
5. Add the soaked poha (it should be soft but there should not be excess water) and gently stir till it is well mixed with the onion-peanut mixture.
6. Continue cooking on medium heat till the poha is heated through (about 4-5 minutes).
7. Turn off heat and add lime juice. Stir/toss, so that the juice spreads evenly.
8. Top with coriander leaves and serve hot.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Sabudana Kichdi

Every time I get busy at work, cooking immediately takes a backseat. Don't even ask about blogging.

Sabudana kichdi is a tasty dish if you like the spongy, chewy texture of sabudana (variously called as sago or tapioca pearls or javvarisi). It requires a little bit of planning since you need to soak the sabudana beforehand but the actual making process is quite simple and quick - making it an ideal recipe for not-enough-time-to-cook times.
Sabudana Kichdi

Ingredients (makes enough for 2):
Sabudana - 1 cup
Potato - 1 medium-sized, chopped into small pieces
Green chillis - 2, split vertically
Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup, de-skinned and lightly crushed
Jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp or per taste
Corriander leaves - 1 handful, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:
1. Soak the sabudana in water for 8 hours or overnight. The way I measure the amount of water needed is: Place the sabudana in a bowl, pour enough water to just cover. Then pour some more water so that the level of water is up to the first line-marking (from top) on the inside your index finger when it is placed on the top layer of sabudana. A friend taught me this and this method ensures that you do not use too much or too little water.
2. In case there is any water remaining with the soaked sabudana the next day, drain it and spread the sabudana on a plate to lightly dry. Too much water will result in a soggy mess.
3. Heat enough oil to coat in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Non stick is important if you want to avoid using copious quantities of oil and prevent sticking to the pan.
4. Toss in the jeera and the green chillis and lightly stir till the jeera crackles.
5. Add the chopped potato pieces and stir till they are evenly coated with oil/jeera.
6. Add the turmeric, stir again, then lower the heat and cover the pan.
7. When potatoes are almost done (about 4-5 minutes), add in the sabudana. Stir continuously with a light hand as you add the sabudana to prevent sticking.
8. From this point, DO NOT cover the pan at any time.
9. Add the crushed peanut pieces and salt. Continue stirring lightly from time to time.
10. When the sabudana pearls turn translucent (about 5-7 minutes), the kichdi is done.
11. Turn off heat, add the lemon juice and stir/toss the kichdi so the juice spreads evenly.
12. Top with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes:
1. The most important thing to get right for this recipe is the sabudana. They should be soaked but not soggy when you add them.
2. If your sabudana kichdi turns out to be a big sticky ball when it is done, check the following:
a) are you using a non-stick pan or sufficient oil in case of a regular pan? With a regular pan, you would easily be looking at 2-3 tbsp of oil to avoid stickiness.
b) are you cooking on too high heat? The kichdi should be cooked on medium-low to medium heat.
c) Are you stirring with a heavy hand? Stir lightly because you are only trying to make sure that the sabudana gets coated with mild spices, not because you are trying to dissolve it into a gruel.
d) As mentioned before, DO NOT cover the pan once you have added sabudana - a covered pan is the best way to ensure a sticky ball.
e) At no time should you be adding any water. If the kichdi seems to be sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower heat and drizzle some more oil into it.

Once you get the sabudana right, the recipe is a breeze to make. I know because I did make a couple of sticky balls before I started getting it consistently right. The effort was not wasted - now I have one more tasty dish on my quick-meal options!

Raw Banana Stir fry

 This recipe is adapted from cookdtv. Ingredients 1 raw banana or 2 small bananas 2 tbsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp mustard 6 cloves crushed garlic ...