Fish-O-Fish

This morning I got a message from a friend with whom I haven't spoken to in months! The first thing she told me was that me she enjoyed reading my blog! :) Just yesterday I was wondering whether anyone is reading my blog at all, so when I heard from my friend needless to say I was overwhelmed. She is also a foodie much like me and loves seafood especially FISH! So here are some really easy to prepare fish recipes which I hope she enjoys!

Our subject for today ~ Anchovies commonly referred to as Nethili Meen in Tamil

This one is for one of ente favorite ommana pen kutties :)

Nethili 65: Deep fried Anchovies

Deep Fried Anchovies

Ingredients
Anchovies: A cup full- cleaned, washed and marinated in lime and rock salt
1/2 spoon turmeric powder
1/2 spoon wheat atta or maida (this will serve as a binder)
1/2 rice powder (this will make the dish crispy, crunchy & YUMMY)
4-5 spoons of chilli powder
1 spoons of ginger &garlic paste
Optional: 1/2 spoon coarsely crushed pepper corns

Nethili 65

Method

• Take big bowl- mix the anchovies with the following ingredients
• chilli powder
• turmeric powder
• ginger garlic paste
• rice powder atta/maida 
• Sprinkle water and mix the contents 
• Make the marinate into a smooth paste
• Keep it aside for 15-20 minute
• Heat a pan with oil 
• Add the anchovies and cook over low heat
• The  fish will be done in less than 5-7 minutes

Serve hot just as a snack or as a side dish for sambhar rice, rasam rice or even better fish gravy & rice:)

Nethili Thokku: Anchovy gravvy

Nethili  Gravvy

Ingredients

• Shallots/ small onions a cup full -
• Wash and peel the small onions
• Do not chop- adding them whole make the dish taste better
• Anchovies a cup full
• cleaned & washed
• marinated in turmeric, lemon and rock salt 
• One whole Garlic peeled 
• Do not chop or crush garlic
• Add them as whole cloves
• A piece of ginger (2 inches-crushed )
• 10 curry leaves 
• 1/2 spoon asafoetida  
• 3-5 spoon pure chilli powder 
• Tamarind a medium sized ball- soaked in a cup of water, dissolved, and filtered 
• Take the tamarind water - add chilli powder and turmeric powder

For spluttering:  Mustard seeds, fenu greek seeds, Jeera seeds, (Optional-pepper corns), Dry red chillies & 4-5 spoons of gingelly oil


Method

• Heat a thick pan, add 4-5 spoons of Gingelly oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
• Add the mustard seed, fenu greek seeds, Pepper corns, Jeera, red chillies and fry
• Add shallots and curry leaves and saute till it turns light brown
• Add the peeled garlic and crushed ginger and saute
• Note:- this recipe does not need tomatoes, however if u want to,  you can add half a tomato finely chopped and saute it after the ginger garlic
• Add the tamarind water mixed with chilli powder and turmeric powder
• Bring to a boil, let the contents simmer until it reaches a consistency of gravy
• Add the 1/2 spoon of asafoetida
• Add the anchovies and reduce the flame
• Let it simmer in low flame for 10minute(maximum 15 minute)
• Note:- Do not stir, this will break the fish into a million tiny bits :)
• Remove from stove in 15 minutes and serve with hot rice or Idlies

 See I told ya it was an easy recipe :)

I hope these recipes were useful, do try them and tell me how it tasted! Happy eating !

P.S. Amma has made chicken curry and chappathi for dinner tonight, I m off :)

Enjoy your fried anchovies!

 

~Fin~

Combating Culinary Disasters :P

• If you have added too much salt or chilli powder ~add one of the following depending on the dish
• Coconut paste
• Chopped potatoes
• Chopped tomatoes
• Tamarind paste
• Coriander powder
• A spoonful of sugar/jaggery
• Worse case scenario water :P
• If you have added too little chilli powder, add slit green chilli/ crushed pepper!
• If you run out of cooking gas then take a deep breadth, lie down on the couch and take a power nap!
• If you are bored hovering over the stove, try singing,  you can also try tap dancing, vegetable carving just don't forget the stove is on- I often do ;)
• If the dish you are cooking gets burnt- transfer contents to another bowl, destroy evidence and blame the neighbors :P
• If you find someone has tail gated you to the kitchen and wont leave, stop complaining and enjoy the company! :)
• If you find your mommy is standing behind you and giving you step by step instruction
• Cool down
• Slice a cucumber
• Seat her on the couch
• Place it on her eyes 
• Tell her its her special spa time :P works like a charm Every time!

P.S. I solemnly promise my next post will be better and will be of some use  :)

Not so-Culinary notes to myself!!!

1.If at first you don't succeed recreating a recipe! Blame Butterfly Effect! .. U can also throw in Chaos theory if you can pull it through :D

2.A true blue foodie does not give up on  potato chips! :D

3.Never let your hair loose in the kitchen, you don't want run in circles singing 'Fire in the mountain run run run' :P

4.If while preparing a dish, it goes all wrong and doesn't slightly resemble the original ~ Pat yourself in the back and call yourself a culinary-genius :P

5.Never give up on 'Thalir Sadam' & 'Maggi Noodles'  you never know when you dish is gonna get screwed and you have to resort to them!

6.The girl who doesn't know how to cook and the aunty who is too lazy to cook are always gonna find something wrong with your recipes ~ Try and make your peace with it.....with a smile:)

7.People are always gonna misunderstand you for a Glutton/Foodaholic/Theenipandaram. Never mind! They'll come around!.. and you can serve them suicide spicy food and have your revenge:))

8.No No No writing down one recipe, in one blog which has 9 posts does not make you 'Julia Child or Neetha  Metha'

9.People are gonna laugh at your face , behind your back and on virtual interface, be happy your blog is entertaining people :) 

10.Someone, somewhere out there will read your blog someday (without scoffing, or rolling their eyes), until then keep cooking, keep eating, keep blogging and keep smiling!!!

Kulla nari Journey!! :)

So today I proudly displayed my blog to my Amma and her reaction ?

Dr. Amma: Hmmmmmmmm..


Me:  Enna Amma ? (What Maa?)

 
Dr.  Amma:  Ellaa .. Enna Vasu idhu ? (What is this Vasu)

The title of your blog 'Culinary Journey' sounds like 'Kula naari* Journey' !!! 

My Reaction!! :P

 

*Kulanari means 'Country Fox' in tamil!!

P.S. I love you Maa :) Your sense of humor is what has helped me sail through rough weathers of life and keep smiling all along !

Minced Soy ~ Veggie Kheema

Few months back we had a pot luck lunch @ my appice (ladies special)!

Did I mention it was vegetarian lunch.. Those who know me also know that I descended from a line of  carnivorous dinosaurs and I DO NOT eat grass! :P However I do love to cook and so I prepared an easy to make 'Soy Kheema Gravy with Paneer & capsicum'

When it comes to cooking I prefer to KISS ~ Before I let your imaginations runwild, I ll clarify i meant Keep It Simple Silly ! Yes yes I learnt it from a lame T.V. program :P

A friend and a fellow foodie of mine really liked it and has been asked me for the recipe, however the lazy Bum I am I could never pen down or share the recipe..

This one is for her..

Minced Soy ~Veg Kheema

Ingredients

1 small cup of Soy granules  (I use a brand called Nutrela) - soaked in a hot water with salt and turmeric for 2 minutes and drained
10 Shallots pealed and chopped finely
2 ripe tomatoes chopped finely
1 spoon red chilli powder & garam masala powder (alter as per your taste)
5-6 cloves of garlic crushed with a 1 inch of ginger

Spices: Bay leave, cloves, Cardamom and cumin seeds (you can tweak this as per your taste)

Optional : A small bar of paneer and a medium size capsicum (Cut Paneer and capsicum into medium - big size pieces, saute in vegetable oil and a  pinch of salt kept aside )

Method

1. Heat a thick cooking pan, add required amount of oil
2. Add all  the spice, chopped shallots, crushed ginger, garlic and saute till golden brown
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, garam masala, salt  and fry till oil separates
4. Add the drained soy granules and stir
5. Sprinkle water and let it simmer for 5-10 minute
6. Reduce heat and add the sauteed paneer and capsicum
7. Let flavors and fragrances of all the ingredients blend!
   
8. Turn the stove after 2  minutes
9. Serve with Chapathi, roti, rice,  idllis or dosai

Lettuce eat!

P.S.  This one's for you Sudha, sorry to keep u waiting for so long :) Kamman!! try it and tell me how you like it!