Shrimp with a spicy Onion Tomato sauce

Kandyvarchi Kolambi - Shrimp with a spicy Onion Tomato sauce
Note: Substitute Shrimp with potatoes for vegetarian version.
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/ Pathare Prabhu
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Onions - 3 medium
Tomatoes - 3 medium
Shrimp - 300gms
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 5 large cloves
Green chilli - 1 medium
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (or to taste)
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Aesafoetida - Hing - 1 pinch (optional)
Bay leaf - 1
Butter - 1 tsp (Optional)


Recipe:

Put together ginger, garlic, green chilli, cilantro and 1/4 cup water in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a vessel, add hing, turmeric powder, bay leaf and finely chopped onions. Saute onions (stiring at regular intervals) till soft and pale. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute for about 5 minutes or till tomatoes are soft. Add the green paste, red chili powder, garam masala and let cook uncovered till all the ingredients blend in well. You may add half cup water for changing the consistency. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add washed, cleaned, de-veined prawns, shrimp or lobster. Stir well, add 1/2 cup of water and cook covered on low - medium flame for 10 minutes or till shrimp is completely cooked. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and top it with a tsp of butter.


Serving Suggestions:
Great with white slice bread, chappati, naan, bhakri, roti or paratha.

Pickled Shrimp - Indian/Maharashtrian style

Kolambiche Lonche - Pickled Shrimp
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/ Pathare Prabhu/side dish
Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Asafoetida Powder - Hing - 1 Pinch
Shrimp - 1 pound/500 gms
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Achar masala/ Pickle spice - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 2 tsp.

Recipe:
Heat oil in a shallow pan. Sprinkle a pinch of Hing. Add washed, cleaned, deveined, shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Add Red chili powder, achar masala,salt and stir well. Once the shrimp is cooked, keep it aside (off the heat) and let cool completely. Once the shrimp mixture is at room temperature add the lemon juice and stir lightly. A quick delicious Shrimp pickle is ready.

Note:
Pickled shrimp can stay fresh for 4 to 5 days if refrigerated. DO NOT reheat the pickle at anytime after its done cooking the first time, even for later servings. This recipe can be modified to make pickled pomfret or Tilapia. Just substitute shrimp with fish.

Serving Suggestion:
It is great side with a good seafood menu. Should be served at room temperature.

Potatoes in coconut garlic curry

Batatyache Bhujane - Potatoes in coconut garlic curry
Category: Indian/Maharashtrian/Pathare Prabhu
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Green/serrano pepper - 1or 2
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Garlic Cloves - 3-4 small
Cilantro - to garnish
Clove - 1
Kokum - 1(or 1 tsp lemon)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - Aafoetida powder 1pinch

Recipe:
Grate coconut, garlic and green chillies with 1/4 cup water to a smooth paste and keep aside. Peel and cut potatoes and keep soaked in water. In a pot, heat oil and add hing, clove, turmeric powder, and finely chopped onions. Saute till onions turn pale and soft. Add potatoes, red chili powder, the paste and salt to taste. Add water as desired (about 1-1/2 cup should be good for 2 potatoes). Cover and let cook on medium to low flame. Add Kokum/lemon juice and stir. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot with white rice or chapati/roti/paratha.

Potatoes in sweet and sour tomato gravy.

Ambat god batate - Potatoes in thick sweet and sour tomato gravy.
Category: Indian/Vegetarian
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 4 Medium
Thk Tomato Paste - 1-2 Tbsp
Aesafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5 (dry or fresh)
Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Goda masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste -1 tsp if thick 2 tsp if regular
Jaggery - 1 inch
Cilantro - To garnish
Salt - to taste


Recipe:
Wash, peel and chop potatoes in approximately 1 inch cubes. Soak them in water. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add pinch of aesafoetida powder, mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and potatoes. Stir on low flame for 1 minute. Add all the spice powders - red chili, cumin, cilantro, goda masala and mix well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking take thick tomato paste in a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cup of water, mix well. Add this tomato sauce to the potatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 -7 minutes. Uncover and stir. Add tamarind paste, jaggery and salt. Mix well and cook covered till potatoes are done. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Serving Suggestion:
Best served with Roti, chapati, Naan, Paratha, dal & rice.

Note:
This recipe is based on store bought Hunt's Tomato Paste. If you make tomato paste at home, I recommend making it without any water. Also goda masala can be replaced with any Indian masala powder for a different taste.

Parmesan crusted stuffed Tilapia fish.

Recently I have been cooking a lot with different kinds of cheese varieties and my favorite fish Tilapia. I finally decided to try out my own recipe to combine two of my favorite experimental ingredients. The more I use various types and forms of cheese, the more I want to explore the amazing possibilities of using it in everyday cooking. Well…and who doesn’t love cheese? So for all the cheese lovers out there, here is a very simple recipe to make a fantastic, rich, Italian entrée.

Ingredients:

For fillets:
1 pound large Tilapia fillets (tenderized)
1 Tbsp. Garlic paste
Salt
Pepper

For filling:
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese (grated)
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. Philadelphia cooking crème
1 Tbsp. Sour cream
1 Tbsp. chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 Tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Italian Seasoning.
Fresh or dried basil per taste.
Salt
Pepper
1 Tsp. olive oil or butter

For breading:
¾ cup bread crumbs
¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning

Method:

Step 1:
Marinate fillets with garlic paste, salt and pepper for at least 15 minutes before tenderizing. To tenderize fish or meat, place one fillet flat on a gallon Ziploc bag. Fold bag to cover the fillet. Pound both sides of the fillet with a meat mallet on a cutting board. This will break the connecting tissue and fibers and will thin out the fish. Set aside in a flat dish or a tray.

Step 2:
Mix all ingredients listed for the filling. Scoop filling and apply a thick layer on each tenderized fillet. Gently roll each fillet with the filling within. You can use a toothpick to hold it in place. Set aside in the same tray.

Step 3:
Mix all ingredients for the breading and gently apply thick layer of breading to the tilapia rolls. Heat olive oil in a shallow plan. Cook the breaded rolls for 5-7 minutes on each side, till a rich golden brown crust is formed on each side. Handle Tilapia very gently. This step can also be completed by using the superior technique of cooking – baking. Bake the rolls in a conventional oven for 20-30 minutes or till fish is completely cooked. This can be served with a soup and salad or as an entrée if served with your favorite white Italian sauce (e.g. marsala wine sauce, alfredo, garlic sauce etc). So look out for my upcoming post on Marsala wine sauce.
Eat yummy! Feel awesome!!
-Sheetal

Tofu/Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) Stir Fry

I haven’t been writing a lot lately. It’s been crazy juggling work, home and demands of my ever enthusiastic two year old twin boys. All said and done I still manage to spare some time for pursuing the two things I enjoy –cooking and photography. So at my dearest husband’s suggestion I have been trying out my hands at semi-homemade cooking, which simply means cooking at home with a little help with store bought items. For e.g Tofu, Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), organic chicken patties, casing free chicken sausages etc. But I still try to avoid canned food unless the recipe absolutely calls for it. I do not have anything against it; it’s just that I feel that the nutrition and satisfaction that fresh vegetables and fruit provide is not comparable to any canned or frozen item. Also, a great way to save time but still have delicious meal in minutes is to have a choice of cooking sauces, wines and vinegars handy. I will share a list if these items in the upcoming ‘tips’ email. With that said, here is a super-quick semi-homemade recipe for a yummy protein rich stir-fry.


Tofu/Paneer stir fry:

Ingredients:

1 Pound extra firm Tofu or Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Bunch spring/green onions finely chopped
5 large cloves of garlic minced
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce
1 Tsp. White Vinegar
1 Tsp. Red chili sauce (Sriracha)
1 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt to taste
¼ cup Roasted crushed peanuts

Cooking method:

Heat oil in a pan. Shallow fry the Paneer or tofu till sides are brown and keep aside. In the same pan add minced garlic and chopped onions and sauté till onions become soft. Mix the remaining ingredients (except peanuts) in a bowl and add to the pan. Simmer for two minutes or till the sauce mixture starts boiling. Turn heat to low/simmer and add the Paneer or Tofu. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high and let cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously. Be gentle when stirring since Tofu and Paneer both break easily. Garnish with crushed peanuts and serve hot.
Eat healthy and yummy!
-Sheetal

Caprese salad

Ingredients

* 3 ripe tomatoes
* 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
* Fresh Basil or fresh dried and frozen basil
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* Coarse salt/garlic salt
* pepper


Layer slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, add a basil leaf between each or sprinkle fresh dried and frozen basil on a shallow platter. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve chilled. Yummy, refreshing and a very nutritious salad is
ready in 10 minutes.
Eat healthy!
-Sheetal