Time for some kitchen tips:

• Freeze a box of fresh spinach. After it freezes just take a handful, crush it and sprinkle it over your food. Sprinkle it on a pizza, in enchiladas, in sandwiches, pasta, curry or anything else you can think of. The kids won’t even know!

• Make a ginger garlic paste and pour in ice trays. Put these trays in a gallon Ziploc bag and freeze. If your trays are medium sized then each cube of ginger garlic paste is about two Tsp. You will have fresh homemade ginger –garlic paste at your fingertips. You can do the same for green chili, cilantro or mint paste.

• If you plan to use lettuce in your meals, make sure you wash, clean, dry them and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator just before serving. Lettuce will be fresh, cold and crunchy. It will make your salads even better!

• Grind one box of salted roasted peanuts to a coarse powder. Store it in an air tight jar. Crushed peanuts are widely used for garnishing. Very handy protein rich garnish for stir fry’s, salads and a lot more.

• If you are using basmati long grain white rice, soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes before cooking. Add a Tbsp. of olive or vegetable oil for well cooked, non-sticky rice. To add aroma to the rice add very small quantities of any one or all of these spices: fennel seeds, whole black pepper, cloves, cumin, cinnamon stick, cardamom and/or bay leaf.
Enjoy
Sheetal

Tilapia in Coconut Curry

I grew up in a beautiful city called Mumbai. Mumbai was originally a group of seven islands which have now merged to become one of the world’s busiest, glamorous and most sought after cities. It is surrounded by the sea and boasts of one of the finest sea food experience anywhere in the world. I grew up loving Mumbai, loving its culture, its people and obviously the food. My grandmother, who is a great cook, has passed on her knowledge of amazing sea food recipes to the next generations. I crave for her sea food all the time. Although the available cooking means and methods have become way easier than they used to be many years ago, my grandma still loves the old school way of cooking from scratch (and it sure does taste better). Just like the fast paced life, everyone strives to make a fast-paced, but a healthy meal. Here is my take on it…if you plan it well; you can cook a great meal in no time! I am sharing my favorite quick Tilapia in coconut curry recipe that I learnt from my friend. Trust me this mouth –watering curry can be ready in no time.

Tilapia in coconut curry

Ingredients:

1 pound Tilapia fillets cut to 3 inch long pieces
2 Tsp. Ginger paste
1 Tsp. Garlic paste
4 cloves garlic
1 medium can coconut milk (2 cups if you are using fresh coconut milk)
1 cup water
1 Tsp. Red chili powder
¼ Tsp. Turmeric powder
1 Tsp. Garam masala
2 Tsp. Tamarind paste (replace with a Tsp. of lemon juice or 2 kokums if you do not have tamarind paste)
1 Tbsp. oil
Salt
Cilantro for garnishing

In a bowl, mix ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, 1 Tbsp. of coconut milk. Add tilapia pieces to the mixture and let it marinate for half hour.
Heat oil in a shallow pan. Peel, mash garlic cloves and add to the hot oil. Fry the garlic for a minute till it turns slightly brown. Then gently lay the marinated tilapia pieces in the pan over the oil and garlic and let it cook on medium flame. Tilapia cooks really fast. Do not turn the fish, tilapia is very delicate and flaky and easy to break. Just lift up the pan and give it a good shake. Add the remaining coconut milk and a cup of water. Give the pan one more shake. And let it simmer. Taste the coconut curry after 10 minutes. Add additional spices (this depends the type of coconut milk you use) if you like. Once the curry starts boiling add the tamarind paste or lemon juice. Add salt to taste and lots of chopped fresh cilantro. This curry tastes best when served with white basmati rice.

Super easy, super delicious and super quick fish curry is ready!!!
Enjoy
-Sheetal