F for Fish Curry (Goan Style)

F for Fish Curry (Goan Style)

So now we move on to F. And the first food that comes to our mind is what we have been taught since the childhood. Right F is for Fish. But before we start talking about with Fish,  there are some other regional dishes which needs a mention here. 

Farra is one of them. This regional dumpling where dal is stuffed in rice and then steamed / boiled and is served with chutney or. In MP / UP this is commonly served with chutney. The same is called Piththa in Bihar and is normally enjoyed with Ghughni (curry of black gram). Some part also fry and enjoy this. 

Firni is another, a sweet dish, made of crushed rice in milk. Its a variety of Kheer with a regional twist and is devoured in almost all household. 

Fish Curry in India differs in taste with every state.  Where in Bihar it is made in mustard oil and mustard paste, in UP the curry is developed in Tomato and onion paste. West Bengal has its own varieties and Rui Bhapa is one of them. The south makes its own changes with spices and sea fish. So it changes with every step perhaps. Goan Fish Curry is also one of the same. 

Goa is known for its beaches and exotic seafood. An authentic Goan Fish Curry recipe, is differentiated by its tangy and spicy taste. The curry has an exquisite aroma and can be used with any fleshy fish. It is generally served with  plain steamed rice. 

Ingredients

Fish (Surmai) -1kg

Tamarind Paste – 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds -4 tsp

Cumin seeds - ½ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Onion – 1-2 chopped, Garlic cloves – 10, Green Chili -1

Salt as per taste, Oil for sautéing -2tbsp,

Red chili – 4 to 5

Grated coconut -2 tbsp

Recipe 

Clean & cut the fish into blocks / pieces. Marinate the pieces using salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside for a while.

Meanwhile, prepare the masala for the curry. In a mixer, add all the spices, grated coconut, chopped onion and green chillies with little water and make a fine paste.

Take a pan, heat the oil in it over medium flame and Dry red Chilli saute and add the masala paste  and stir to cook for a few minutes till oil leaves from side.

Add the marinated fish to the pan and let the fish soak in all the masala. Don’t stir much otherwise the fish will crush. Let it simmer in slow flame for few minutes. After it soaks the masala well add 3 cups of water and salt as per taste and let it cook on slow medium flame till oil separates and fish is well cooked.

Transfer it to a serving platter, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy.

Other Recipe as part of A to Z challenge 

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

Aditya Sinha

07.04.2020

B for Bhutte Ka Kees - From MP

So the second with B. There are lots of  finger licking Regional Dishes with B. 

Bati Chokha as termed in UP ,  is originally called Litti Bharta and has its origin from Bihar. This is perhaps most famous and I would discuss more under L. 

Bise Bele Bhaat  is  a spicy, rice-based, lentil mixed meal from Karnataka is another worth a mention.

Biryani is another world famous delicacy and has different flavours from different parts of India. Moradabadi Biryani would be different from Hyderabadi and so on. 

Bajre ki Khichri is yet another light luncheon which is healthy and is from Haryana. 

But here I will talk about Bhutte ka Kees - A  tea time snack from MP. 

It is easy to cook and a famous street food in Indore. 

The dish is basically a coarse paste of corn (Bhutta) , cooked with ginger, green chillies and common spices as per taste. Many videos & recipe are available on the net that would make the cooking easy. Just for recap , here goes the recipe:

Ingedients:

Corn : 1 cup / Full corn -3

Milk - 1 cup

Garnish / Herbs : Coriander leaves, Green Chilli , Grated fresh Coconut & Lemon Juice

Spices : Turmeric Powder, Asafoetida, cumin and mustard seeds 

Oil for frying, Salt & Sugar

Recipe :

Grate the corn from the full corn and add some milk and make paste. ( Alternatively sweet corn can be used by pressure cooking and making a coarse paste in mixer with some milk).  

Heat ghee in a wok, add asafoetida, cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them crackle.  Add grated or finely chopped ginger & green chillies. Add turmeric powder, and salt and stir for a minute on medium flame, Add the paste of corn. and Cook for  a few minutes stirring continuously . Add red chilli powder towards the end saute. Add a cup of milk and a tsp of sugar. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes .

Remove from flame and add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut. Serve hot.

Enjoy with Tea.

Aditya Sinha
02.04.2020

A - Appam from Kerala

Regional Cuisine ….

Let's start with A.

There are lots of regional dishes starting with A with. From different places across India and mouth licking tastes.

In my posts earlier I have written about Aligarh Kachauri. You would love to enjoy this as the morning breakfast anywhere in Aligarh from the state of UP famous for its AMU.

Another mouth watering street food was from a small tehsil in UP Atrauli Alu Chhat. Enjoy These.

Desserts from Apple are also interesting and tasty dishes like Apple Pie, Apple Anchar, Jam , Juice etc.

But for my A to Z post I would talk about the famous dish from Kerala - Appam. 
Appam is a pancake enjoyed with Chatney & sauce. Appam, though originally is from Kerala, it  is enjoyed across south India in breakfast or dinner. It also forms a part of  regular dish in Sri Lanka.

You would find many videos & recipe on the internet for this dish. But just to refresh enjoy it here as well.

Ingredients :

Rice - 1 cup
Cooked Rice 1/2 cup
Fresh Coconut 1/2 cup / Coconut Milk 1/2 Cup
Yeast 1/2 tea spoon
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
baking Soda - 1 pinch
Oil for oiling of Pan - 4- 5 Tb spoon


Preparation - 
A. - Preparing Batter :
1. Soak Rice in water for three to four hours
2. Drain Water.
3. Add  1/2 cup cooked rice to strained soaked rice
4. Add 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
5. Make a paste of above mixture in a mixie.

B. - Preparing Yeast for Fermentation : 

1. Take 1/2 tea spoon dry yeast in a bowl

2. Add 1/2 teas spoon Sugar

3. Add 1 cup Luke warm water and mix well.

4. Add a pinch of floor , mix.

5. Cover with a plate and leave for 10 mins for froth to develop.

C. - Fermentation : 

1. Take the froth developed yeast solution after 10 mins and mix with the batter. 

2. Add salt as per taste and leave for 3 -4 hrs to ferment.

D. - Making Appam : 

1. Take the fermented batter and check for consistency it should be loose as to flow on its own.

2. If thick add water and make it free flow as in dosa/ chila batter.

3. Add a pinch of Baking Powder and mix

4. Low heat a Non Stick Kadhai. grease with Oil

5. Pour two servers (with kalchhun) ofAppam batter in the center . Rotate Kadhai so as to spread the batter so that it would take a bowl shape . The edges would be thinner and the center thick. Cover the Pan and let it cook on slow flame .

The edges would start turning crisp and leave the kadhai. Put some oil on the edges with the help of brush to ease crisping. Once crisp ( in 2-3 mins) take out the Appam . Appam is ready - Crispat edges, soft at center. Serve along with Hara Dhania & Cocunut Chatney and sauce.

Relish.

Aditya Sinha

01.04.2020

The Regional Cuisines of India - Regional Dishes

Theme Reveal 2020 - Indian Regional Cuisine.

India is a country, rightly said, that depicts unity in diversity. Think of  a characteristics and you would end up counting tens and twenties of each. Be it language, food,  culture, dress and you name anything - you would find it changing in perhaps every few kms .With its vast expanse and rich cultural heritage, it equally stores a variety of regional cuisines totally different from each other but equally delicious.

So this becomes the essence of my theme for this years "A to Z Challenge" on my blog Regional Cuisine- The Regional Cuisines of India and I would highlight Regional Dishes.

In the past I took this challenge twice. In 2015 I wrote travelogue - all about Himachal Reflections from Adi - A to Z Challenge and made you travel throughout HP - the hill state of India. In 2016 I took two writings each day - One was my poetic journey Reflections on A to Z 2016 - Let the Soul Pour and the other was Festivals of India Reflections on A to Z 2016 - Festivals of India. 

So now, stay with me - and this year enjoy four blogs each day. This one would be a food blog. The Others would be my favourite - A poetic journey both in English & Hindi. And there would be a fiction - Learnings of life - 5 Sentence Fiction. Theme Reveal 2020 - Life just in 5 Sentences.

So - Just stay glued.

Aditya Sinha

26.03.2020

Veg Poha - Breakfast special from MP

In the series of regional cuisine pls find specia from MP today . Veg Poha is a common breakfast people relish there.

Pls try it this sunday & Enjoy.

Aditya

KHAJLA

KHAJLA

In continuation to the special food series in Numaish Aligarh please find the recipe for Khajla. This is also believed to originate from Meerut. The other two were Halwa Paratha & Barola

Ingredient :
Maida ( All purpose Flour) - 250gm 

For Syrup :
Sugar - 250 gm

Refined Oil / Ghee for frying

- Mix flour with 2 tbsp refined oil / ghee & 1 ½ cup of water with soft hands. 
- Knead the dough well and leave it for 10 mins. It should be soft as in case of Bhature.
- Roll the dough and put ghee on it. 
- Now roll it and leave for 10 mins again. 
- Cut it and leave it for 5 mins. 
- Now roll like roti and put it in warm ghee and deep fry. 

Keep Aside.

Make Syrup of 2 wire by boiling 250 gm sugar in 2 cups of Water.
Remove from Heat.

Dip the Dry Khajla in Syrup and remove from Syrup in a plate and let the sugar dry.

The Khajla is ready.

(Its variant is found as Khaza in Bihar)

Halwa Paratha

Halwa Paratha of Aligarh.

Starting in the last week of January begins the Annual festival of Numaish in Aligarh. Its a mix of trade fair and local fair but lasting for almost a month. One thing that you would see along with this all across the city are three special foods : Halwa - Paratha , Khajla & Barola.

Halwa - Paratha:

This dish is believed to originate from the adjoining district of Meerut. However some old residents of Aligarh also say that this actually arrived from Karanchi during partition. And usually used to be made on annual get together's when these families used to meet here in Aligarh. Whatever is the truth, let's enjoy the recipe. 

Paratha:

Paratha :  Is actually a huge Puri made of Maida (fine flour) (250 gm for one puri). Miada is kneaded with enough of moin (three four tbsp of refined oil / ghee). It should be loosely kneaded so that it can be easily spread into Puri of almost 2ft diameter. To spread it into paratha, make a single ball of approx 250 gm and put it on a greased flat base and press it slowly starting from center till it is evenly spread and becomes a large paratha as below.

Deeep fry this in hot refined / Ghee in a flat bottom Kadahi.

Paratha is ready.

Halwa : Halwa is the rawa (suji) Halwa we normally make at home.

Recipe : In about 50 gm ghee fry rawa (150gm) regularly stirring till you get a light pink colour. Add water (three cups) and keep stirring till it starts setting. Add one cup sugar to it. Keep stirring. When all sugar melts and mixes add 50gm ghee and remove from flame. Spread on a flat bottom plate and garnish with dry fruit, Coconut and Cherry.

Serving : This is normally sold by weight in kgs. And served by cutting paratha in piece and a scoop of Halwa. 

Relish.

The other two dishes Khajla and Barola would be discussed separate.

You may also enjoy these from Aligarh :

Aligarhi Kachauri      Atrauli Aloo Chaat      Khajla                Barola  

                           

Snacky Chicken

SNACKY CHICKEN

My kids don't want chilly in their food. But they love non veg. So I try this method which they love. This also goes good as snacks with drinks. 

Ingredients : 

Chicken : Half Kg

Onion : 250gm, sliced

Curd : 2 tbsp

Salt : as per taste

Haldi powder : 1tsp

Ginger : 2 tsp - crushed

Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp

Eno Powder - 1/2tsp

Garam Masala - 1tsp

Chart Masala - 1 tbsp

Whole spices for tadka 

Clove - 5 peices

Dalchini - 1 small peice

Big Cardamom - 5 peices

Small cardomom - 2peices

Black pepper - 10 -12 peices

Tejpatta - 2 peices.

Red chilli - 2 peices

Marination : In a bowl put washed - drained - chicken pieces and add one tbsp garlic paste, 1tsp ginger paste, salt as per taste, curd 1tsp and mix well. add the eno powder and mix again. Check the whole chicken should be well coated with marination. keep aside for one hour.

Preparation : In a flat bottom kadhai add three tbsp of refined oil. (If you prefer mustard oil you can use the same esp eastern India) let it heat. Add the whole spice enlisted above for tadka. Let it crackle. Add onion and fry on mild heat till it is tender and pink. Add marinated chicken and fry covering with lid in turns to soften the chicken. Once it fries a little add a tsp of turmeric (haldi) ,garlic paste and ginger paste and continue frying. After some time add the left one tbsp of curd and fry till its well mixed. Add garam masala poiwder and chaat masala powder and saute till the chicken is soft enough to eat. Your snacky chicken is ready.

Serve hot.

Aditya Sinha

Aligarhi Kachauri

Aligarhi Kachauri

You move to any city, you would find some special breakfast or snacks that the city is proud of. especially in the B-class city, where some root culture still exists. Move in the lanes in the morning and you find Jalebi - Samosa in Jhansi, Baati chokha or Sattu ka sharbat in Patna, Bajpai ki kachauri in Lucknow, Mirchi Bada in Jodhpur and so on .....
So the list is endless. When I landed in Aligarh I saw the same morning rustle around the local halwai shops and there was this special Kachauri with aloo ki sabji and raita. 

So enjoy this at your home in one breakfast. 

Ingredients : Kachauri -  Flour  - 2 cups
                                        Urad dal ka peetha - 4 tbsp
                                        Ginger - finely chopped 
                                        Heeng - one pinch
                                        Oil for frying
                    Aloo ki Sabji - Boiled Potato (Aloo) - 4 pieces medium sized
                                         Green chilli paste - 1 tea spoon
                                         Normal spices as used in vegetable,
                    Boondi ka raita - Mahin Boondi - half cup
                                         Curd - 1 cup
                                         Roasted Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

                               

                                       
Preparation : 

Kachauri

Filling : To the Urad dal ka peetha add finely chopped or crushed ginger a pinch of hing and salt and mix well. Check it should not leave water. If it is very wet add some gram floor to make it dry.

To the floor add two tbsp refined oil and knead the flour. Keep it very tight.

Make big size (double the size that you use for chapati) balls of flour and fill a pinch of the filling. Roll it on rolling pin and make Puri. Keep it a little thick. Fry it in refined oil. Once it is cooked like a normal Puri, take it out and let it cool. Again put the cooled Puri with its air drained out in red hot oil and fry till it is golden brown. Drain the oil and serve hot with aloo ki sabji and raita.

Aloo ki sabji : 

Cut the boiled potatoes in small pieces. In an iron kadhai heat two tbsp of oil and add potatoes. Add a tsp of coriander powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt chilli powder, garam masala and fry. Add the paste of green chilly and keep frying and crushing the potatoes till it is fully cooked.Add a tsp of Khatai (Aam churn) Add a cup of water and keep stirring till it appears as a thick paste.

Boondi Raita :

Pour the one cup of curd in a bowl and add a tsp of black salt, a pinch of heeng and salt as per taste. Mix it well till it appears as paste. Add two cups of cold water and mix well. Add boondi and a tsp of roasted jeera powder. Mix well. The consistency should be very thin. 

Enjoy the hot and spicy Aligarh Kachauri.


You may also like the following regional dishes from different states

Bihar - Litti Bharta                                                                                         UP - Mutton Kawab   
(Also called Baati Chokha in UP)                     Jharkhand - Dhuska             (Bundelkhand Region)

                           

You May also like the following recent posts 

The Beautiful Stranger - Fiction                     Pyaar Ka Utsav - Poem in Hindi                Soulmate - Poem in English

                                         

                                                 

Malai Paratha

Malai Paratha

Parathas are common , esp in winter season. Hear is one, which I prefer and have to wait for. One of the ingredient is malai residual when you are preparing ghee from malai.

Ingredients :

Malai Residual from ghee preparation : 1 cup
Wheat floor : 3 cups
Ajwain: 1tsp
Kalonji - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Preparation : 

Malai Residual : When preparing Ghee from Malai , don't burn the residual and stop removing ghee when the malai is still golden brown. Keep this aside.

Take the 3 cup of wheat floor and add 1 cup malai residual ajwain, kalonji and a pinch of salt. Knead with warm water. Make Parathas of the shape and size you prefer and enjoy hot with Chutney / Sauce/ Anchar or Bharta.

(This is rich and high in calories so good for kids)

Relish.

Aditya.