Stir Fried Vegetable in Black Bean sauce

Stir Fried Vegetable in Black Bean sauce

Ingredients:

1.       Cauliflower florets

2.       Cabbage ( 2-3 leaves)

3.       French beans (100/150 gms)

4.       Mushroom

5.       1 medium size onion

6.       5-6 garlic cloves

7.       1 inch ginger

8.       2-3 green chili

9.       Soya sauce (Kikkoman)

10.   Black bean paste (1 tbsp- Available in INA market in Delhi)

11.   Salt to taste

12.   2 tbsp corn flour

13.   1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Steps:

1.       Boil water in a pan and once it comes to a boil  add the chopped french beans, cabbage leaves  and cauliflower ( DO not add the Mushroom). Cover the pan and keep it for about 5 mins.

2.       Drain the hot water and immediately run cold water  over the veggies for  2-3 mins.

3.       Take a Wok/Kadhai and add oil, once it’s hot add the chopped garlic followed by slit green chili and onion. Fry for 4-5  mins.

4.       Add the vegetables and fry it for another 5 mins, add the soya sauce* , also add the black bean paste and mix it well with the vegetables.

5.       In a bowl add the corn flour and ½ cup of water. Add this paste and mix it well with the vegetables.

6.       Add salt to taste and if you feel you need to add more soya sauce add ½ tbsp.*

7.       Cook for another 10 mins on medium flame and enjoy with fried rice.

*Always add 2 tbsp of water to 1 tbsp to soya sauce and mix it well.

Baked fish wrapped in Turmeric leaves - My version of 'Nga-nam'

Last week was lot of fun, the extended Durga Puja holidays were fully utilised by cooking, eating and shopping. The other day on my way back from work, I dropped by INA market and bought my weekly quota of fish, what I absolutely love about INA is that the market never disappoints me and what is even more interesting is that INA market works like a mood elevator for me. I may sound a bit crazy but I'll choose to spend time at INA market over any of the swanky shopping mall in Delhi. 

To make my weekend interesting and food filled I decided to make baked fish and stir fried mixed veggies, so I bought 1 Kg of Red Snapper fish, Rohu, chives, Pui saag also known as Malabar Spinach, Black beans paste, Kikomon soya sauce and few other things. The final result of my exotic buy was very satisfying...baked fish is not a new recipe, Manipuri's love the 'Nga-nam' made mostly with smaller fish or 'Nga-kha' as we call it and never made with fish bigger than the little finger. But once I tried it with medium size fish and it was quite good. The recipe of the baked fish is below:

'Baked Fish wrapped in Turmeric leaves'

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium or small size Red snapper fish ( One can also use Pomfret, Tilapia or any other medium size fish)

2. Ginger Garlic paste- 3 spoons

3.Turmeric power- 1 tbsp.

4.Onion- 2 

5. Garlic- I whole pod 

6.Chilli powder - 1 tbsp (opitional)

7. 15-20 leaves of Awa Phadigom ( also know as Culantro/Mexican Coriander)

8. Mustard oil.

9. 4-5 Turmeric leaves (In case you don't have turmeric leaves use Banana leaves)

10. Aluminium foil

11. Salt to taste.

Steps:

1. Wash the fish properly, make small slits and pat dry using kitchen paper towel.

2.Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl ( Ginger garlic paste, Turmeric power, Chopped onion, Crushed garlic, chilli power, chopped awa phadigom, 1 tbsp mustard oil and salt). 

3. Smear some turmeric powder and mustard oil on the fish and also sprinkle some salt.

4. Cover the fish properly with the mixed ingredients and also put some inside the fish. Once done leave it for about 30 mins.

5. Pull out some aluminium foil and on it put a single Turmeric leave, now put the fish on it and put another turmeric leave on the fish, to save turmeric leave as it's always on short supply I had cut it neatly and covered the fish well with the leaves. Now wrap the fish with the aluminum foil, I used another layer of aluminum foil to fully wrap the fish. (Traditionally we use only the turmeric leaves to bake it but due to limited supply/availability of the turmeric leaves I used the aluminium foil to cover it fully and maintain the aroma)

6. Take a Tava and pre heat for 2-3 mins on high flame, add 1/2 tbsp of oil  and  put the foil wrapped fish on the tava, cover it fully with a plate or another container to maintain the heat. Turn the fish every 7-8 mins and cook on medium flame. It will take about 40-45 mins for the fish to get cooked. 

( One can also use an Oven to bake the fish but I prefer using the Tava, I find it more convenient )

Unwrap the fish after about 15-20 mins and serve hot with some simply yummy stir fried veggies and rice. Enjoy....

Chicken Rice and Raita for lunch

No excuses for not updating my blog again but here I am, trying to revive the blog again with a very simple and yummy recipe for a lazy weekend lunch. Easy to cook and yummy to eat is what I can guarantee from this recipe, the recipe was shared by one of my colleague 'SG' and I made it for lunch yesterday 'Chicken Rice, cooked with curd and kashmiri mirch powder'. This is quite similar to biryani but compared to biryani it's much easier to cook and as tasty as biryani.

Ingredients:

1. 500 gms chicken
2. 500 gm curd
3. 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
4. Few strands of safrron
5. Green Cardamom- 5-6
6. 1 stick dalchini (Cinnamon)
7. 2 big onion
8. 1 Tomato (Optional)
9. Bay leaves
10. 1 tbsp garam masala
11. 2.5 cups of good quality basmati  rice
12. Salt to taste

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken with the curd, chilli powder and salt. Cover the marinated chicken and leave it for at least 1 hr.
• Wash the rice and keep it aside for about 15-20 mins.
• Heat a Kadhai and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, once it's smoking hot add the bay leaves and sliced onion, fry it it turns golden brown. 
• Add the marinated chicken and cook it on medium flame. Also add the cardamom, dalchini , garam masala and the chopped tomato.
• Stir the chicken every 5 mins and cook for about 25 mins. ( Chicken will get tender since it's marinated in curd)
• Since cooking rice on a Kadhai is not advisable, put the rice in a Rice cooker or a flat bottom pan,   add the saffron strands,  cooked chicken and add 5 cups of water (double the quantity of rice).
• Cook till the rice is done and serve hot with raita.

While it may not taste exactly like Biryani but this is easier to cook and as yummy as biryani. Pictures will follow soon.