Whenever we go out to a restaurant we always ask if grilled pomfret is available :-) Yes, this is our favourite pomfret dish.So this time we thought of giving this a try and it turned out really awesome !! Henceforth we do not have to depend on the restaurants and can have grilled pomfret at home and that too whenever we wish :-)
Ingredients - pomfrets with slits (2) lemon juice salt red chilly powder curd ginger-garlic paste coriander powder cumin powder methi powder turmeric powder garam masala powder carom seeds(ajwain)
Method - Wash the slitted pomfrets. Mix in a bowl - lemon juice,salt and red chilly powder. Apply this mixture to the pomfrets well(inside the slits) on both sides. Now take a bowl and mix in the following - curd,ginger-garlic paste,dhaniya powder,jeera powder,methi powder,turmeric powder and garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix this well and then apply to the pomfrets on both sides. Now sprinkle a few ajwain/carom seeds over the pomfrets. Refrigerate the pomfrets for 6-7 hours or overnite.(See pic below) Remove the fish out of the refrigerator approx 1 hour before cooking. Sprinkle some oil on the fish and place it on the higher reck for 10min microwave+grill option. Carefully turn the fish on the other side,sprinkle some oil and grill for 15min. Grilled pomfret is ready to serve with onion and lemon wedges :-)
Dal tadka is one of the very healthy dishes which goes well with phulkas/roti.It is a combination of various dals and hence very rich in protein.
Ingredients - mixed dal - moong,masur,chana,chole,rajma onion (1 big) ginger (1 medium piece) garlic (6-7 cloves) tomato (1 medium) green chillies (5-6) coriander powder tadka masala salt fresh coriander leaves
Method - Incase dal tadka is not available you can mix all the above dals.Soak the dals in water for atleast 5-6 hours or overnite. Pressure cook with a pinch of salt till the dals are soft.(Rajma takes a long time to cook than other dals). Chop the onion,ginger,garlic,tomato and green chillies finely.Do not use ginger-garlic paste. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onions,green chillies. After onion sautes a bit, add the ginger and garlic. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and let it cook(close the lid). After 5-10 min add 1/2tspn of coriander powder. Add the cooked dals and tadka masala(2 tspn). Add water if required and let it cook. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with phulkas :-)
This is one easy one-pot dish which you can rely on specially if you are running out of time. We generally have this pulao on some lazy day when I am not in a mood of preparing a full-fledged meal and this does not require much preparation or time and it is filling too :-)
Ingredients - 1 cup basmati rice cauliflower carrots beans green peas onion (1 medium) ginger-garlic paste spices - cardamoms,bay leaf,cinnamon,pepper corns,cloves green chillies (4-5) turmeric powder(optional) cashew nuts,raisins(kismis) salt oil
Method - Chop all the veggies to small pieces. Chop the onion and green chillies finely. Heat oil in a non-stick pan/kadhai. Add the whole spices - 1 bay leaf,3-4 cardamoms,2-3 cloves,1/2 tspn pepper corns,1 medium stick cinnamon. After a minute add onion,ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Saute for 2-3 min. Now add all the chopped veggies.You can add the veggies as per your choice.I had cauliflower and beans lying in my pantry which I wanted to finish off.Hence I added only those.But the more the veggies the tastier it is :-) Add salt and close the lid and let the veggies cook for a while(2-3 min). Now add the rice to this and add 2.5 cups of water.Actually we need 2 cups of water as I used 1 cup of rice,but since there are vegetables I added another 1/2 cup. Add salt.Turmeric powder can be added but it is optional. You may check it intermediately and once it is done a nice aroma will fill your kitchen. Vegetable pulao is ready to serve with or without raita :-)Garnish the pulao with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.
Baigan ka bharta is one of the very easy recipes which goes well with phulkas/roti.The use of egg is optional here and can be avoided.Sometimes there is a different version of baigan bharta in which it is prepared without cooking ie- To the mashed eggplants add salt,chopped onion and green chillies and it tastes yummy:-) Below posted is the cooked version.
Ingredients - eggplant/brinjal/baigan - 3 big onion (1 medium) tomato (1 small) garlic (5-6 cloves) ginger (1 medium piece) green chillies (3-4) turmeric(haldi)powder 1egg (optional) fresh coriander leaves oil
Method - Apply some oil to the eggplants and roast them on the flame.Roast them well by turning repeatedly so that they become soft. Now remove the skin of the eggplants and mash them with your hand. Sprinkle salt on the mashed eggplants. Chop the onion,garlic,ginger,green chillies and tomato finely. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onion,chillies,ginger and garlic to it. After onion sautes add the chopped tomato. Incase you are using egg add it now. Add salt,pinch of haldi powder and the mashed eggplants. Let it cook for about 2-3 min and then garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve baigan ka bharta with phulkas :-)
Chorchuri is a bengali name for medley of vegetables or mixed veg.This is a very healthy dish as it contains spinach(palak),eggplant(brinjal),raddish and broad beans(ghevda).In a bengali meal chorchuri will be served as a prothom pata.ie-it is the first dish which is served after steamed rice and is had with rice alone.So do give this healthy and easy mix veg a try :-)
Ingredients - chopped spinach (2 cups) eggplant/brinjal (1 medium sized) broad beans pod/sheem/ghevda raddish/mooli (1 small) onion (1 small) tomato (1 small) kalonji/kala jeera/jeera green chillies (2-3) oil salt
Method - Wash the spinach well and chop it. Cube the brinjal,beans(2-3) and raddish(not the leaves) to small pieces. Chop the onion,tomato and green chillies. Heat oil in a kadhai or non-stick pan. When the oil is hot add the jeera or kala jeera/kalonji to it. Add onions and let it saute. Now add all the veggies,tomato and green chillies. Add salt, a pinch of sugar and let it cook in the steam.Close the lid. Check after 10-15 min if raddish becomes soft. There would be no need to add water as spinach leaves out water. Continue cooking till raddish is cooked. Chorchuri is ready to serve.
Kadha or kasai as it is called in konkani.This is a very effective drink for common cold/cough or throat infections as black pepper and ginger are known to be very good natural remedies for common cold/cough.
Ingredients - ginger piece(1 medium) black pepper seeds-kalimirch (4-5) tulsi leaves (5-6) misri/khadi saakar or jaggery (1 tbspn) water
Method - Heat 1 glass of water in a pan. Add the crushed pepper seeds,ginger(mashed) and tulsi leaves and let it come to a boil. After about 5 min, add the misri/khadi saakar or you can add jaggery if you dont have misri. Keep it for another 2 min and switch off the flame. Drink/sip it hot for best results.
Vermicelli/Seviya or shevyacho sheero as it is called in konkani.This is a very easy and filling evening snack.Some people who have a sweet tooth have this for breakfast.This is a nice variation to the typical shevyachi kheer.So if you have never tasted this version of seviya give it a try :-)
Ingredients - Vermicelli/seviya (1cup) ghee sugar freshly grated coconut cardamom(elaichi) powder salt water
Method - Heat water in a pan and add seviya to it.I have used roasted seviya so it is brown in colour. Just as the water comes to a boil,check the seviya so that it does not get overboiled. Drain out the water like the way you do for cooking rice.The water should be drained out completely. Now take the seviya in a bowl. Add 2 tbspn ghee to it. Add 4-5 tbspn of sugar.The sugar quantity can be increased as per your preference. Add a pinch of salt and cardamom(velchi) powder. Sprinkle freshly grated coconut and mix well.Coconut is optional and can be avoided but being a konkani I like it :) Done!Yummy vermicelli sheera is ready to serve.
Cabbage is one of the very healthy vegetables.Here is a simple recipe which can go with roti or rice.
Ingredients - cabbage (1/2 medium sized) onion (1 medium) tomato (1 small) potato (1 small) green chillies (3-4) ginger paste turmeric (haldi) powder sugar salt oil
Method - Wash and chop the cabbage fine.Pressure cook it with little water. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the ginger paste and chopped onion to the pan. Once the onion sautes,add chopped green chillies and tomato. After 2 min add the chopped potato pieces. Add the boiled cabbage,salt,haldi powder and a pinch of sugar and let it cook in the steam(close the lid). Check after 10-15min if the potato is boiled. Serve with phulkas or as a side dish with steamed rice.
Poppy seeds/khuskhus is known as Posto in bengali.This is a favourite dish in every bengali home.This is a must item without which the lunch/dinner is incomplete :-)The recipe below uses red chillies, but green chillies can be used instead in which case there is a different colour and taste to the posto.Or posto is also had without cooking it- ie- make a paste of posto and chillies,add salt,a drop of mustard oil and chopped onion to it.This is known as Kacha posto.
Ingredients - poppy seeds- posto (1/2 cup) dry red chillies (2-3) onion (1 medium) salt oil water
Method - Grind the posto and red chillies to a fine paste in a mixer.Traditionally sheel-noda is used to make this paste.Check the pic of sheel-noda below. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the finely chopped onion to it and let it saute. Now add the posto paste and salt as per taste.Add little water for the paste to cook. Thats it ! pyaz posto is ready to serve with steamed rice :-)
A very basic dal fry recipe which is one of the best combinations with steamed rice/jeera rice.
Ingredients - toor dal (1/2 cup) green chillies (2) tomato(1 small) onion (1 small) turmeric(haldi) powder hing (asafoetida) mustard seeds cumin seeds oil/ghee fresh coriander leaves(1 tspn) salt water
Method - Wash the dal well and keep it soaked for 10-15 min in water. Pressure cook the dal with salt and turmeric powder. Put 1 tspn oil or ghee in a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot add a pinch of hing and 1/2 tspn mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add the cumin seeds. Now add the chopped green chillies(slit) and onion. Then add the chopped tomato. Let it cook for a min, then add the cooked dal. Add salt if required and cook the dal to the desired consistency by adding water(if required).Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice :-)
Sooji ka halwa or ravyacho sheero as it is called in konkani.This sheera can be prepared with or without milk.I have posted the without milk version.This is one of the very quick and easy and healthy snack :-)
Ingrediients - sooji/rava (1 cup) sugar (3/4th cup) ghee (2 tbspn)(best if home-made) water (2 cups) cashew nuts,raisins
Method - Add ghee in a non-stick pan. Roast the sooji on a low flame. Roast the cashew nuts and raisins. Start adding the sugar little by little. Add the water, stirring continuously till the desired consistency. Some people like this sheera for breakfast or just as an evening snack :-)
