Cat Fish (Magur Maach) Fried

Ingredients:

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 Cat fish (magur maach)

Salt to taste

¾ tsp chili powder

¾ tsp cilantro sees powder

cooking oil

Instructions:

1. Wash the fish and dry them.
2. Make diagonal slit on the fish.
3. Coat the fish with all the spices and keep aside.
4. Add the cooking oil on a frying pan when the oil becomes hot start adding the fish into the frying pan.
5. Fried till the fish becomes crispy and golden brown.
6. Serve with hot rice.

Shrimp Curry With Vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2cup shrimps, shelled
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
5 green beans
1/4 teaspoon ground red chili
1/4 cup soybean oil
1 small cauliflower
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
2 onions

Instructions:

1. Cut into 4 pieces
2. Mix 1/8 teaspoon turmeric and a pinch of salt with shrimp.
Heat oil and fry shrimps for 2 minutes.
3. Remove shrimps from the pan.
4. Mix turmeric and red chili in 1/2 cup of water and add to the onions, stir and fry till oil separates from the spices.
5. Add green beans, salt and 2 ½ cups of water.
6. Cover and boil till green beans are cooked.
7. Add shrimps and more water, salt, if necessary.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add coriander leaves.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Serve hot with fluffy boiled rice.

Rui Fish Fried

Ingredients:

5 or 6 pieces Rui fish
2 Onions
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
4 Green chili
1 tsp Mustard paste
2 Lemon juice
2 tsp chopped Coriander, cilantro or leaves
Salt to taste
4 tsp Cooking oil

Instructions:

1. Wash the fish and dry them.

2. Rub the lemon juice and keep aside.

3. Add the sliced onions, sliced green chilies, mustard paste, salt, oil together in a bowl.

4. Coat all the fish pieces with this spice mixture.

5. Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan and reduce the heat once the oil is hot.

6. Add the fish to the oil and fry them thoroughly until both sides are

golden brown and crispy.

7. If there are any excess spice mixtures left fry them in the oil and pour it over the fish in a serving plate.

8. Sprinkle with chopped coriander or cilantro leaves over the fried fish.

9. Serve it with hot rice.

Pilau Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt
2 Tb oil
2 Tb peanuts
2 Tb golden raisins
2 bay leaves
3 inch cinnamon stick
seeds of one green cardamom pod

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, add the rice with enough water to cover at least twice the depth of the rice. Add the turmeric and salt. Boil for about 12-15 minute on medium-high heat, until the rice is soft on both ends yet still hard in the middle. Drain in a colander.
2. Back to the stove. Heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the peanuts. When they have browned a bit, add the raisins. Wait for about 1 minute until raisins puff out.
3. Add the 2 bay leaves, 3 inch cinnamon stick, seeds of one green cardamom pod. Saute for a bit.
4. Take off the heat. Add the rice. Stir it all together.

Pasta with Grape and Cherry Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Basil

Ingredients:

1/4 Pound Fusilli Bucati (or bucatini, radiatore, or another short,squiggly pasta)
1/2 Pound Grape, Teardrop and/or Cherry Tomatoes
10 Basil Leaves
2 Minced cloves of garlic.
2 Tablespoons Capers
12 Pitted Kalamata Olives
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Pinch Crush Red Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic, salt, red pepper, and olive oil. Stack basil leaves and chiffoniers, and add to tomato mixture. Using the back of a broad spoon (or a small paring knife), “smash” (or cut) at least 1/4 of your tomatoes to release the acidic juice. Marinate at room temperature for at least an half hour.

Start to boil pasta. Get the largest non-stick frying pan (or wok) you have, and heat over medium heat. Test pasta and make sure it’s a minute “underdone” . Crank up the heat on your pan to high, and drain pasta.

Throw in the tomato mixture and sear over extremely high heat for 30 seconds. Add pasta, and fry for one minute, flipping and stirring constantly. The skins on the tomatoes should just start to blister from the high heat.

Egg Curry

Ingredients:

4 Large Eggs

4 Tbps Onion-Tomato Masala

3 Bay Leaves

3 Sticks of Cinnamom (1" long )

3 Black Cardamoms

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala

1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder

2 Tsp Oil

Salt to taste

2.5 cups Water for the Curry

Instructions:

1. Put the eggs in saucepan and cover fill it with water till the eggs are almost covered. As soon as the water begins to boil reduce the flame to medium and let them boil for 12 minutes. This will ensure that they are hard boiled. Set aside and allow the eggs to stand in the water.

2. Coarsely grind the black cardamoms with a mortar and pestle. Discard the skins on the cardamoms and grind the seeds a little more.

3. Heat some oil in saucepan and add the cinnamom, bay leaves and black cardamom. Fry for about 30 seconds, the masala will begin to change color (as shown) it should look a little dark brown. Make sure you keep watching the masala closely otherwise it will burn and smell bad.

4. Once the dry masala has changed color add the onion-tomato masala and stir. Make sure the masalas have blended together. Keep stirring for about a 30 seconds. The masala will stick to the bottom of the pan, keep removing that by scraping with your spatula.

5. Add 2.5 cups of water and stir to make sure there are no lumps. If you find there are lumps break them by pressing them against the saucepan with your spatula. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Once the water curry starts to boil reduce to medium heat and let it boil for 7-10 minutes or till the curry thickens to the desired consistency.

6. Peel the boiled eggs and cut them in half legthwise. Arrange them in a serving dish.

7. Pour the prepared curry over the eggs and garnish with cilantro.

Fried Shrimps

Ingredients:

Ingredients :
16 shrimps ( I used white ecuador shrimps here, size 26/30, peeled and deveined, leave the tail on )
200 gm chana dal flour ( lentil/yellow gram flour )
30 gm rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp sliced serrano chilis
1 tbsp chopped red bell peppers
1 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp chopped cilantros
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chana dal split peas ( soaked and softened )
salt to taste
210 ml water

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until batter form a paste-like mixture, and let chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove batter from the refrigerator, dip the shrimp into the batter, deep fry at high-medium heat until golden brown.

Bread Samosa

Ingredients:

1 pack of bread
6 to 7 boiled potatoes
2 to 3 finely chopped onions
1 cup boiled green peas
3 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
3 to 4 finely chopped green chillies
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon asafoedia
1 teaspoon jeera powder
oil for frying
Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Take bread slices and remove the sides of it.
2. Make cone shape out of the bread and press the edges with the help of water.
3. Take potatoes and mash it, add green chillies, ginger and garlic paste, garam masala, onions, green peas, turmeric powder, jeera powder, asafoedia, coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt amd mix them well.
4. Take cones made from bread and fill it with the above mixture and close the edges.
5. Heat oil and deep fry them till golden brown color.
6. Serve with chutney or ketchup.

Mustard Leafs With Moong Dal

Ingredients:

1 bunch finely chopped the mustard leafs

1 fistful Moong dal

1/2 cup of peas

1 small Garlic

1 clove crushed

1/2 cup finely chopped Onions

7 vertically slit green chilies

1 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1 teaspoon Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

few Coriander leafs

Salt and water as needed

Instructions:

1. Wash the moong dal and soak in 1/2 cup of water for 4-5 minutes
2. Meanwhile heat 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,
3. Then add turmeric. Stir for min and add green chilies. Then add garlic.
4. Now add onions and fry for 3-4 minutes
5. Drain water from the peas and add it.
6. Fry for a while until you see the peas cooked. Finally add the chopped Mustard Leafs and cook till the leafs wilt.
7. Add salt and garnish with coriander.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Chanar Dal (Lentils)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Chana dal - wash and clean it
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 cinnamon sticks
4 black cardamom
4 cloves
1 tsp whole black pepper powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds

salt, turmeric, a pinch of sugar
1 tsp ghee plus chari-phutana seeds
(cumin, mustard, fennel, fenu greek)

Instructions:

1. Boil the clean chana dal in hot water
and add salt, turmeric and sugar
Cook until dal boils properly and dal is thick

2. Blend all ingredients (1/4 cup grated coconut
2 cinnamon sticks
4 black cardamom
4 cloves
1 tsp whole black pepper powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds) together.
Add it to the dal after it is almost cooked and simmer it for
another 20 minutes
3. Fry the chari-phutana until it fluters and then add it to the dal

Green Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves
3/4 cup green peas
2-3 pods garlic
6 green chillies
Ginger
1/2 coconut
3 tblsp ghee/oil
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Boil the rice till cooked
2. Precook the peas with little salt.
3. Grate the coconut and grind it along with coriander, garlic, ginger and green chillies into a fine paste.
4. Heat the ghee/oil in a pan.
5. Add the masala and fry until oil separates.
6. Add the cooked peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove the rice in a flat dish
8. Add salt and coat the rice well with the masala.

Spicy Desi Drummettes

Ingredients:

10 chicken wing drummettes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red chili powder
2 tablespoons curry powder
3 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh green chili
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons ground garlic

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, soak the 10 drummettes in salted water for about 5 minutes.
2. Drain the bowl and remove the skin from all of the drummettes.
3. Lay the drummettes out on a paper towel to dry.
4. In large bowl, mix all ingredients for the wings to make marinade. Mix the oil, coriander, salt, chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, ginger, turmeric, garlic, and green chili until you get a semi thick marinade.
5. Add the chicken wings into the bowl, making sure all pieces are coated well with mixture; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. After an hour, preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Place the chicken wings in a single layer on baking pan.
8. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
9. Arrange the drummettes on a platter.
10. Pour the remaining juices from the pan all over the chicken wings.
11. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve.

Masoori Dal With Eggs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Masoori dal (red lentils)
1 green chili, slit and deseeded
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp. pureed garlic
1/2 tsp. pureed ginger
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. mustard oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Put lentils, chili, tomato, 1/2 chopped onion, turmeric, garlic, ginger and water in a pot.

2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the remaining chopped onions and cumin, stir and fry until golden brown. Add the eggs and stir fry until the eggs are cooked.
4. Add the lentil mixture, mix well, and cook for a few minutes.
5. Serve.

Aloo Bhaja

Ingredients:

4 potatoes
1 tsp. ground turmeric
salt to taste
mustard oil
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Peel and cut potatoes into thin sticks.
2. Coat with turmeric and salt.
3. Heat enough mustard oil to cover potatoes in a deep frying pan, add potatoes and fry until crispy.
4. Remove and serve.

Bhaji

Ingredients:

Potato - 500 gms

Tomato - 150 gms

Green Peas - 60 gms

Cabbage - 100 gms

Green Chilli - 6 nos

Ginger Garlic Paste - 25 gms

Salt - to taste

Oil - 70 gms

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Pao Bhaji Masala - 2 tsp

Fresh Coriander - 20 gms

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Onion Sliced - 60 gms

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes, peas and cabbage.

2. Take oil in a flat pan and add chopped ginger, green chillies and tomatoes. Stir for 3 minutes.

3. Add potatoes, peas and cabbage and toss. Add red chili powder and pao bhaji masala. Toss well.

4. Take a potato masher and mash the vegetables. Add some water and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, add garam masala, lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot with sliced onions and buttered pao buns.

King Prawn Biryani

Ingredients:

600 g / 1lb 5 oz basmati rice + 3 tsp salt
30 ml / 2tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp cumin seeds, 3 cardamoms pods
4 bay leaves, few cloves, 2 sticks cinnamon
1 small finely chopped onion
2 tsp ginger/garlic paste
10 ml / 2 tsp red chili powder
4 green chillies-slit
½ tsp turmeric
10 ml / 1 tsp salt or to taste
450 g / 1 lb king prawns-deveined and washed
10 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice
55 g / 2 oz green peas
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp freshly chopped green coriander

Instructions:

1. Wash and soak rice in hot water. Heat oil in a medium sized, heavy pan.
2. Add cumin seeds, cardammon pods, bay leaves, few cloves, sticks cinnamon, and small finely chopped onion then let onions sizzle for a while. When golden add
3. Ginger/garlic, red/green chillie, turmeric and salt. Stir for a few minutes then add prawns, and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat.
4. Boil some water, then add rice, peas and salt. Boil till just slightly undercooked.
5. Wash and refresh rice under cold water.
6. Make layers with rice, prawns, chopped onions and coriander.
7. Finish with layer of white rice.
8. Sprinkle few spoons of hot water and cover and put on stove on lowest setting until steam escapes and rice is thoroughly cooked.
9. Garnish with more chopped greens before serving.

Cauliflower And Potato Curry

Ingredients:

Vegetables
1 fresh small sized cauliflower, trimmed and florets cut/separated
1 potato and one carrot - cut into bite sized cubes
1 onion - finely chopped lengthwise
6 ripe, juicy tomatoes - chopped
2 fistfuls of soaked red beans
(Peas, chickpeas or other types of beans also work)
For Masala:
4 tablespoons of coconut powder (dry or fresh)
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
Small pieces of cinnamon and two cloves
Few sprigs of cilantro, small piece of ginger and two garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of red chili powder
½ teaspoon of salt and turmeric
Take all the above in a blender, add half cup of water and puree them into smooth paste.

Instructions:

1. Heat one tablespoon of peanut oil in a large, pot over medium heat.
2. Put the (toasted mustard seeds, cumin and minced garlic). Add the onion, fry it till golden. Add the cut tomatoes, increase the heat, cover and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes soften when pressed with the back of a spoon.Because cauliflower can cook easily and when overcooked gives out unpleasant sulfur smell , first add the cut potatoes, carrots and red beans to the tomato gravy.
3. Cook them until they are almost tender fork, and then add the cauliflower florets to this mix. Add the masala paste and half cup of water.
4. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Finally stir in the finely chopped cilantro and serve, either warm or at room temperature.

Chickpeas Curry And Ruti

Ingredients:
1 cup black chickpeas overnight soaked in water
Sauce:
½ cup coconut milk (homemade watery kind)
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes,
1 medium sized red onion or 4 to 6 shallots
Seasoning:
1 tsp of g-g-c paste (Ginger-Garlic-Cilantro)
1 tsp of c-c-c-c powder(Cumin-Coriander seed-Cloves-Cinnamon)
½ tsp of red chili powder and turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp of each, mustard seeds, cumin, minced garlic and curry leaves

Instructions:

1. Take black chickpeas in a pressure cooker, add ¼ tsp of salt and 2 cups of water. Pressure-cook them till they are just tender. (Take caution not overcook them.) Drain and keep aside.
2. Meanwhile - roast tomatoes and onions in half teaspoon of oil. When they are little bit cool, grind them to smooth paste. Also prepare coconut milk and g-g-g paste and c-c-c-c powder.
3. Cook 1 and 2 together. In a big sauce pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil, toast 1 tsp of each, mustard seeds, cumin, minced garlic and curry leaves, add the sauce and seasonings and half cup of water. Cover and cook them for about 10 minutes. Stir in black chickpeas and coconut milk and simmer them, stirring in between until the curry reaches the thickness you desire or for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat.
Serve hot with ruti or with rice.

Basmati Pulao With Raita

Ingredients:

Tomatoes and Veggies:
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes or 1 pound ripe tomatoes of any variety - chopped
1 onion and 6 green chillies - finely chopped lengthwise
½ cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup of frozen fresh chickpeas

Basmati Rice:
1 cup of basmati rice and 2½ cups of water

For Masala:
2 each - cardamom pods and cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon of black peppercorn
Coarsely grind these together.
Salt, bay leaf and ghee or oil to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat ghee/oil. Add and sauté the onions until soft and red.

2. Add the green chillies, masala powder, bay leaf and chickpeas, sauté for few minutes.

3. Stir in the cut tomatoes, juice, seeds everything. Increase the heat to high, cook them covered until the tomatoes when pressed with a spatula turn to soft, concentrated mush.

4. Stir in the basmati rice and salt. Add water and mix. On high heat, bring the water to boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Mix only once and resist the temptation to stir frequently (frequent stirring breaks the rice and makes a soggy mess.) Turn off the heat and leave it to rest for about 5 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle fresh cilantro, gently mix taking care not to brake the basmati rice.

Serve with kurma and/or raita (yogurt is mixed with salt, finely chopped onions, green chillies and grated carrot, cucumber).