Nga-nam

I think I am happy from inside these days why? coz I cook very well and I have been trying new recipes and all the dish I have been cooking to my great satisfiction tastes like what my mom makes. I tried "Nga-nam" a very authentic meitei dish, the preparing is so simple that one can easily make it, all we need is the small fish, turmeric leaves, green chillies and one onion.

Method:
1. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric.
2.Finely chop the onion and slit the green chillies. Mix it with the fish.
3.Take abt 6 turmeric leaves and lay it carefully on a plate, put the fish on the leaves and wrap it carefully, remember the fish should be carefully wrapped.
4.If you have a microwave keep it for abt 10-12 mins or else use a tava to steam it and steam from both the sides.

I tried this yesterday and it was heaven when I tasted it, it reminded me of my childhood when mom used to make this and we all wanted some more. This week has been really good for me food wise, I am super happy with my cooking and hope to remain happy always....

Happy Recipe

Ingredients:
1. 250 gm medium size prawns.
2.Green Chillies 5-6.
3.Coconut Milk 200 ml.
4.Onion 1.
5.Garlic.
6.Bay leaves.
Method:
1.Wash the prawns and marinate with salt turmeric and lil. mustard oil for 30 mins.
2.Chopp the onions, and garlic finely.
3.Slit the green chillies.
4.Take 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a non stick fry pan, when its hot add the bay leaves and fry for 1 min.
5.Add the chopped garlic and then the onions, fry for 2-3 mins.
6.Add the green chillies and fry for another 5 mins in low flame.
7.Add lil. turmeric powder and then the coconut milk.
8. Bring it to a boil and add the marinated prawns, cook for another 20-25 mins in low flame.
9.Garnish with coriender leaves....you'll sure want to have more.
I had this prawn curry when I was in Ahmedabad and could never forget the wonderful taste. I had almost forgotten the recipe as I had not cooked this curry this long, mainly because coconut milk is not available here and I buy coconut milk when I travel out of Tripura. This curry made me happy and I had another yummy & happy dinner.

The best ever breakfast

The other day I had this really yummy chicken dish I decided to make it myself so I bought chicken from the not-so-clean Lakechoumuni Market and cleaned it for over 30 mins, I am not too with the way the meat is sold there but I bought 500 gms anyways. The recipe is super duper simple:

1. Cut chicken into small pieces.

2.Grind abt 20 green chillies.

3.2 thinly/finely sliced onion.

4.1 large garlic cut into small pieces.

Marinate the chicken with lil. salt and lil haldi and keep it for abt 30 mins.

In a non stick frypan, add abt 1 tbsp of oil (I used Olive oil) and fry the garlic, when it turns golden brown add the finely chopped onion and the green chillies. Fry for about 10 mins in low flame. Add the chicken and mix all the items together. Cook on low flame till chicken is done and have it wiit rumali roti. I had this for breakfast on sunday and felt so good abt making something new yet so yummy.

Food and me

What do I do when m really happy?
I treat myself. It can be a yummy black forest cake, Ilish mach, Ras gulla or anything yummy.
What do I do to decrease stress level after work?
I cook and sometimes I cook and do not eat, its funny but I do that sometimes.
What do I do when I am sad :(.
I eat...anything and everything.
When do I feel happy.
a) When I eat something I really like.
b) When I cook something really yummy like the ilish mach, biryani, fried rice, ooti, iromba etc etc.
c)When I reinvent a new dish with my own additions and it turns out really yummy.

Italian Khana @ Diva

My trip to Delhi this time was as usual about me going almost every places in search of good food. I had the best veg momo's from a really small corner shop @ Vasant Goan to the best of Italian khana at the upmarket GK 2. I have read and seen alot of tv shows on Italian khana and abt the restaurant Diva, famous for its Italian Food. I wanted to visit and try italian food since long and this happened last Sunday, I have almost no knowledge of Italian food except for Pizzas and spaghetti (macaroni's) and I went to Diva with a lot of expectations...I ordered a Spaghetti alla Chitarra con peperoni e salsicie (NV) Hand made "guitar string" pasta with a robust sauce of spicy sausages, peas and fennel, not knowing what Guitar String pasta in real life is nothing else but the very normal noodle...was I disappointed well not too much but yeah...I kind of cursed myself for not ordering something else. The food was not that great but ambiance was good and location of course is superb.

I will definitely visit Diva again to try some other interesting food and maybe try Anatra arrosto al miele con arancia -Honey-roasted duck with baby potatoes and aromatic herbs .

Momo's and happiness

Their was a time when having momo was = happiness, that was during my student days. The nearest and the best momo's were available only at Momo's Point, Kamala Nagar (I still love the momo's) and it was abt twice a month that I used to treat myself with momo's...well that was 10 years back and now momo's are available everywhere...every galli and almost all fastfood joints in Delhi sell momo's from Ramu, Shamu to Mainland China, Ramu and Shamu calls it Momo but Mainland China and other fancy restaurant calls it "Dimsum" but giving it a fancy name doesnt change the taste. Momo has sure changed from the exclusive and only avialable @ xyz, now its available everywhere and Ramu, Shamu se lekar sab koi momo ka business jamma diya hai...and with the new development.changes Am I happy....of yeah I am super happy....last time I was in Delhi had some really good momo's at Sarojini Nagar and this time at this really small food joint at Vasant Kunj, for 20 bucks a plate...its a loot.Mumbai and Ahmedabad were two cities where I was momo starved, thankfully in Agartala I can atleast have momo's whenever I want but its far from where I live and its expensive. I love to eat momo's and even bought the momo making container though I have never attempted making momo's but if ramu and shamu can make business from selling momo's from a galli then I should make momo's for my own happiness.