Prawns Thoran

This is an easy way to eat something tasty on a lazy day (if you've some cleaned prawns). I had some cleaned shallots in my fridge so things were very quick. Just had to mix and love all ingredients and put it on flame. Enjoy with hot rice. 

Ingredients

• Prawns - 250 gms
• Shallots - 1 cup + (3 for tempering)
• Chopped ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Green chilli - 5
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Kudam puli - 2 pieces 
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method

• Clean the prawns. If they're big one cut each one into 2 to 3 pieces.
• Slice shallots and green chilli. chop ginger .
• In an earthenware (or any kadai) put together all the ingredients and mix well with your fingers.
• Keep on flame and let it cook for 6-10 minutes (Prawns actually take only 2-3 minutes to cook. you can adjust the cooking time according to your taste)
• Switch off the flame
• Temper as below

For tempering

• Heat oil in a pan
• Add mustard seeds. 
• When it starts spluttering add sliced shallots and saute until brown. 
• Pour over the thoran. 

Prawns Masala Dosa

 This was today's breakfast. It was a finger-licking one and will tickle your taste buds really well. 

You need

• Dosa batter - as required
• Prawns - a handful after cleaning
• Onion - 4 (chopped)
• Tomato - 2 (chopped)
• Ginger - a small piece (chopped)
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Oil for sauteeing
• Salt to taste 

Method

• Clean prawns and mince them. Keep aside
• Heat oil in a nonstick vessel
• Add chopped ginger followed by chopped onion.
• Saute until it turns pink.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. 
• Saute until raw smell leaves. 
• Add chopped tomatoes and minced prawns. 
• Add salt to taste.
• Saute, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
• Later open the lid and stir fry until all water dries off. 
• Keep aside the prawns masala

• Heat tawa
• Pour a laddle of batter and spread it into a thin dosa
• When one side  is cooked put 2-3 spoons of prawns masala on half part of dosa and cover with other half. (I put the masala in center and folded both sides). 
• Flip the folded dosa and cook for 5-10 seconds. 
• Remove from tawa.
• Serve warm. 

Easy Fish Fry

Yesterday we bought some lovely kingfish steaks. I couldn't resist putting up a mouthwatering fish fry. Some of might use ginger-garlic paste also for the marination. My marination is always plain and we love it this way. 

You need

1. Fish steaks – 2
2. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
3. Pepper powder – 1 tsp
4. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil for shallow frying

Method

• Mix together all the ingredients from 2 to 5 adding little water. Marinate the fish with this and leave for
  atleast 20 minutes.
• Shallow fry both sides in oil until done.

Fish in Coconut Gravy

Here it is weekend and this is one of the favourite curries we have with steaming hot rice. I love this combination for the flavour of coconut, the tanginess of kudam puli (gamboge) and the spices. My mom and my mil don't make this often, but I try this here on most weekends. It is creamy, not that spicy and full of flavours. Have a great weekend

You need

1. Fish - 500 gms (I used kingfish)
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Garlic - 2 cloves
5. Ginger - 1 small piece
6. Grated coconut - 1 cup
7. Chilli powder- 2 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coconut oil (for sauteeing and for final stage)
11. Kudam puli (gamboge) - 2 pieces

Method

• Grind together all ingredients from 6 to 9 into a very fine paste adding water
• In a vessel heat oil and add mustard seeds
• Once it starts spluttering, add fenugreek seeds
• Add chopped ginger and garlic.
• Saute until they turn light brown.
• To this add the above coconut paste. If it is thick add water. 
• Add salt to taste
• Wash kudam puli and tear it into small pieces. Add to the gravy.
• Once the gravy starts simmering, put the fish pieces. Cover and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. 
• After 20 minutes drizzle a little coconut oil on top. Switch off and keep covered for 5 minutes.
• Serve with rice. 

Fried Fish Masala

I was bored to make the usual side dishes for chappathi and tried this fish dish. It went really well with it. It is simple but has a little bit of oil in it as it requires frying the fish first and then sauteeing it with masala. Otherwise it is a finger licking one. I used king fish pieces to make this.

You need

• Fish pieces  - 100 gm (bones removed and cut into small pieces)
• Onion - 1 big
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Ginger - 1 small piece
• Garlic - 2
• Green chilli - 1
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp + 1 tsp (for marinating) (see Note)
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp (for marinating)
• Oil for sauteeing and frying fish
• Salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the small fish pieces with chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 20 minutes. 
• In a frying pan heat oil and fry the fish pieces.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel
• Add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and chopped onion
• Saute until pink and transparent.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute until the raw aroma leaves.
• Add chopped tomato. Add salt to taste. (Remember you've marinated fish with salt)
• Add the fried fish pieces. Stir fry on low flame for atleast 10 minutes (the longer the better)
• Serve with chappathis

Note: Adjust your spices according to your spice levels

Spicy Prawns Fried Rice

Everytime I make this my husband and kid starts eating the prawns from the pan itself. This time I begged them to leave a few for taking some snaps. So I had to pick some and keep on top to say it is a prawns fried rice. This is a spicy rice and you can vary the pepper according to your spice level. Also you can substitute prawns with cooked shredded chicken and make it a chicken rice.

You need

• Prawns - 1 cup of medium size prawns.
• Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
• Carrot - 1 big diced
• Beans - 20 nos. diced
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Ginger - 1 medium size 
• Green chilli - 3
• Onion - 1 big chopped
• Spring onion - 1 bunch
• Pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Soya sauce - 2 tsp
• Oil for sauteeing
• Salt to taste

Method

• Clean the prawns and cut it into small pieces
• Cook basmati rice in enough water, add salt and allow it to cool really well. (Avoid overcooking)
• In a thick bottomed big vessel heat oil
• Add finely chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies
• When the colour changes add finely chopped onions and saute until pink & transparent.
• Add diced carrots and beans. Add soya sauce. Lower flame and saute until they're cooked but yet crunchy.
• To the above add prawns and saute. (It takes only 2-4 minutes to cook prawns)
• Add pepper powder and salt to taste (remember you've used soya sauce above. It contains salt, so add salt here accordingly)
• Finally add the cooled cooked rice and chopped spring onions. Mix well on flame. Stir fry for 2 minutes. 
• Serve warm with any chinese side dish like manjurian

Kappa vevichathu and meen curry (Cooked tapioca with fish curry)

The very special favourite of almost all keralites. Eventhough amma makes it rare at home now, I make it here almost all weekends. These kind of food keeps us close to the native land.  So enjoyed another weekend with this lunch and a beauty sleep. Have a great week ahead!

You need

1. Tapioca/Kappa - 1/2 kg
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Green chilli - 3 
4. Garlic - 3 cloves 
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste

Method

• Peel the brown and pink skin of tapioca
• Cut into small pieces. Remove the fibre in the middle
• In a deep vessel cook the tapioca with lots of water and salt. 
• Once cooked well, drain all the water.
• Mash the tapioca.(I didn't mash as we like it as pieces)
• Grind together all ingredients from 2-7 and mix to the above. 
• Cook covered on slow flame 5-7 minutes. 
• Temper with below

For tempering

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Shallots sliced - 3 nos.
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos.

Method

• Heat oil
• Once hot add mustard seeds and let it splutter
• Add sliced shallots and let it turn light brown.
• Add dry red chilli and mix and switch off the flame.
• Pour over the cooked tapioca. 

For fish curry

1. King fish/Any fish of your choice - 1/2 kg cut into small pieces
2. Coconut oil - 2 tsp
3. Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Garlic - 2 cloves chopped
6. Ginger - 1 small piece chopped
7. Green chilli - 1 chopped
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Kashmiri chilli powder - 2 tsp
10. Kudampuli (Gamboge) - 2 pieces
11. Water - 2 and 1/2 cups

Method

• Heat oil in a curry chatti (An earthern ware used in kerala. It gives the curry the special taste than the once made in a normal vessel)
• Add mustard seeds and let it splutter
• Add fenugreek and let it turn light brown.
• Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli.
• When the above ingredients turn light brown, add turmeric powder and chilli powder. 
• Add salt to taste at this stage and mix well.
• Add water and kudampuli (gamboge). Let it boil.
• Check for taste and adjust the salt and tangyness. (Add more kudampuli if required.)
• Add the fish pieces and lower the flame. Let it cook with the cover little open for 15-20 minutes. 
• Leave it open on slow flame for 5 minutes. You'll find a layer of oil on top. It depends on the fish you use for cooking and the oil added. 
• Serve with kappa or rice. We love it with dosa/idli/appam/ANYTHING!

Notes:

• I use kashmiri chilli powder to make fish curry. It makes the curry less spicy at the sametime thick and colourful.
• Kudampuli/Gamboge is the special ingredient for this curry and can be found in Indian stores. You won't get the same taste if you replace it with tamarind. 

• Fish curry gets it great taste when made in earthen ware, but you can try this in a normal nonstick pan as well

Fish Fry (Ammachy fish fry)

I got this fish fry recipe from mathrubumi newspaper. They call it Ammachy fish fry. They also say this is the nadan fish fry of travancore style. It is a very delicious recipe, and a must try atleast once. The below recipe is for 3 kingfish steaks. You can do it with karimeen (pearl spot) or white pomphret.

You need

1. Kingfish (neymeen/ayacura) - 3 steaks
2. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
3. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Shallots - 5 nos.
5. Ginger - 1 small piece (when chopped 2 tsp)
6. Ginger - 1 big clove
7. Green chilli - 2 
8. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil for shallow frying (Use any vegetable oil, but they say coconut oil is best for this)

Method

• Make a paste of chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
• Marinate the fish with the above paste and keep aside for 20-40 minutes. 
• Grind together ingredients 4-9 (remember you added salt while marinating, so add accordingly here) into a almost fine masala. It will be coarse as you're not using water.
• Take the marinated steaks and cover each steak well with this coconut masala.
• Shallow fry on a hot tawa on low flame.

Finally you'll lick the plate not to leave behind the last bit of coconut masala!!!

Sending this to the kerala kitchen hosted at Ramya's recipe

Cilantro Fish Tikka

We love fish and it is something we can't go without. I got this recipe from Lakshmi Nair's cook book. It is a very versatile recipe book with lots of variety dishes. I tried this recipe for a change from the usual red chilli ones. This makes a great dinner. Hope you all like it.

Ingredients

• Boneless fish pieced - 1/2 kg
• Coriander leaves paste - 3 tsp
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Roasted gram flour (besan) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilli paster - 2 tsp (or as per your tolerance level)
• Capsicum - 1
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Salt to taste

Method

• Cut capsicum, onion and tomato (remove pulp) into cubes
• Combine the rest of the ingredients (except fish) and make a smooth paste.
• Marinate the fish and leave for 1 hour
• Thread the fish pieces into the skewer followed by capsicum, onion, tomato... as you like :)
• Heat oil on a tawa and grill the above (or you can grill it in an electric grill)

Sending this to Cilantro and cumin hosted by julie and Gimme Green @ Chef Al Dente

hot & spicy treats @ Amy's food corner

and to saint-patrick-challenge @ very good recipes