Dal Zucchini

I love this dal for its amazing flavour. This is more or less like a lentil (dal) curry with zucchini slices cooked till just tender and then to give a unique taste it is flavoured with black seeds and cumin seeds. So nutritious and comforting to eat with rotis or rice. 

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini 

 1/2 cup Moong Dal (Yellow lentils) 

1/2 Tsp Tomato paste

2 Tbs Chopped onions 

1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 

1 Small Dried red chilli

2 Small Green chillies whole 

1/2 Tsp Black seeds 

1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds 

 1Tbs Cilantro chopped 

1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 

 1Tbs Canola oil 

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak the moong dal for 10 minutes. Slice the zucchini, chop the onions, grind ginger garlic paste and keep everything ready.

2. Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add the dried red chilli, black seeds, cumin seeds followed by chopped onions.

3. When the onions start turning slightly golden add the turmeric, ginger garlic paste and the moong dal after draining it.

4. Roast the moong dal till it no longer sticks to the pan.

5. Throw in the zucchini slices, gently turn them over with the dal and roast them too a bit.

6. Now pour in 2 cups of water, salt and whole green chillies.

7. Turn the heat to medium and cook till just done. The dal should be of pouring consistency - soft but not mushy and the zucchini not overdone either.

8. Add chopped cilantro, and serve hot with rice or parantas. You may add boiled eggs if you want, but slit them before adding them. Enjoy!

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Methi Fish Curry

I love to eat fish especially south indian style fish curries which are mouth watering. I keep trying all kinds of fish recipes - baked, fried, grilled, kebabs, cutlets, curries, etc each time looking for exotic and unique flavours which I haven't tasted. Today I wanted to make a fish curry to eat with rice but with a different flavour. I happened to hop on this blog on this blog "Cubes and Juliennes" and the recipe "Methi Machli" on this blog caught my attention. I could imagine the magic aroma of "methi" emanating from the dish as I read the recipe and saw the pictures which made me fall in love with her food. This was inspiration enough for me to create my fish curry with the flavour of methi (fenugreek) which for sometime made me methi crazy too just like the author Farruqh Aziz Ansari. A look at her recipes tells me that she is an amazing cook. I am sure going to try some of her recipes and post them here.

Here's my version of Methi fish curry:

Ingredients:

Trout fish filets - 6 (1/2 a pound)
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Zeera (Cumin) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tomato paste - 1 tbs
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Whole green chillies - 2 medium size
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 tbs
Cilantro chopped - 1 tbs
Lemon juice - 1- 2tsp
Canola oil - 3 tbs
Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Clean, wash and drain the fish filets. 

2. Rub salt on the fish filets. Mix together 1/2 tsp red chilly powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric with 1 tsp lemon juice and marinate the fish filets with this paste for 10 mins. 

3. Heat 1 tbs canola oil in a non stick or cast iron pan and lightly fry the fish filets on both the sides. Remove and set aside. 

4. Heat 2 tbs of the remaining oil in a Kadai (pot) add the methi seeds and as soon as they change color a bit and you get a whiff of their aroma, quickly add the cumin seeds followed by the ginger garlic paste, whole green chillies (with stems removed) coriander powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri chilly powder and tomato paste. 

5. Fry the mixture in the oil till the raw smell of the spices and tomato paste is gone. Add 1/2 a cup water, stir well.

6. When it comes to a boil, add the fried fish, cover and let it simmer on low for 5 minutes. 

7. Add the chopped cilantro and Kasuri methi, sprinkle the remaining lemon juice. Simmer for another minute and serve hot with boiled rice or tomato dosa. Enjoy the fish curry with the exotic flavour of methi. 

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Tomato Rasam

http://superfoodnotes.blogspot.ca/search/label/SoupsRasam is a tomato based spicy soup which is eaten separately or mixed with boiled rice and is enjoyed by all south indians in their everyday meals. It is traditionally prepared using tamarind juice and tomatoes as its base and there are so many different versions of it and each one has its unique taste and flavour of spices and seasonings. Eating a vegetarian thali served with rasam and sambar followed by a glass of soothing and cooling flavoured butter milk on a hot summer day is heaven indeed!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 4 

Garlic cloves - 4 

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro chopped - 1 tbs

Tamarind - a marble sized ball

For tempering:

Curry leaves - a few

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Crushed garlic cloves - 2 small

Asafoetida - a pinch

Canola/Vegetable oil - 1 tsp

Method: 

1. Cut tomatoes into quarters, peel the garlic cloves and cook them with a little water in a sauce pan. Add turmeric, cumin and pepper powders. 

2. When tomatoes are soft mash them with the back of the spoon, add more water and let it simmer. 

3. Soak tamarind in a little water, extract its juice and add it to the pan.

4. Adjust the salt, strain the tomato rasam and add chopped cilantro.

5. For the tempering heat the oil, first add the mustard seed, when it splutters, add the crushed garlic and as soon as it turns golden brown (do not burn it) add the cumin seeds. When they start changing color add the curry leaves and a pinch of powdered asafoetida.

6. Immediately add the tempering to the rasam. The rasam is now ready to enjoy.

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