Cheerer Pulao

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Mala Ray Chatterjee's Poha with Loads of Veggies in a Facebook group called Kitchen Raagas.  This recipe differs slightly from the original because I didn't have all the ingredients, so I am providing a modified version.  This is also for those readers who do not have a Facebook account.  This dish is fast and easy to make and is great for breakfast, brunch or lunch. 

Cheera or Poha is dehydrated and flattened rice flakes that is highly nutritious and lasts in the pantry for a long time. 

Ingredients
1 cup cheera (poha), washed and squeezed dry

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 green chili, deseeded and chopped 
1 tsp. urad dal
1 tsp. chana dal
1 tsp. cashew nut pieces
1 tsp. raisins

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, chopped
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp. chopped ginger or ginger paste
1 cup chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, peas, green pepper, potatoes/sweet potatoes) 
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 lime cut in 4 wedges
1 Tbsp. cilantro

1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. In a saucepan over high heat, sputter mustard seeds, chili, dals, cashews and raisins.
2. Add onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, ginger and fry for 2 minutes until onions soften.
3. Add vegetables and salt and cook until vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes. 
4. Add cheera (poha) along with lime juice and mix well. 
5. Adjust salt  and chilies to taste and heat through.
6. Garnish with cilantro and ghee
7. Remove from heat to a serving dish and serve with lime wedges.

Fish in Light Gravy

Tilapia Macher Ajhali Jhol

This recipe was shared with me by my sister.  It is very quick and easy to prepare and uses just a few basic ingredients.  Because tilapia fillets are so delicate, I did not fry them first.  Instead, the gravy is prepared and the fish poached in it. This dish tastes very good when cauliflower is added to it.  

Ingredients
2 lbs. Tilapia fillets (or any white fish), cut in half

1 Russet potato, cut in 2 inch lengths

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stalks chopped

2 green chillies, deseeded and sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. nigella seeds (kalo jeera/kalonji)

1 tsp. ginger paste

1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. In a saucepan over high heat, sputter nigella seeds and sliced chillies.
2. Add tomatoes and ginger paste and fry for 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.
3. Add potatoes and cook until almost done.  
4. Adjust salt to taste, then add 2 cups hot water.
5. Add fish to saucepan, lower heat to medium and simmer until fish turns white
6. Remove fish from saucepan to serving dish.
7. Add cilantro, sugar and 1 tsp. ghee to the gravy, bring to a boil and remove from heat.
8. Pour gravy over fish and serve with hot cooked basmati rice.

Mixed Vegetables in Poppy Seed Sauce

Mixed Vegetables in Poppy Seed Sauce

Any combination of vegetables may be used in this recipe and shrimp may be added to the mixture for added flavor.

Ingredients
1 pkg. Freshlike frozen vegetables for soup
1 tsp. ginger paste
3 Tbsp. white poppy seeds (posto), soaked in hot water
1 green chilli, chopped
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. Heat oil over high heat and sputter nigella seeds.
2. Add frozen vegetables and ginger paste.  Cook until done.
3. Liquefy white poppy seeds along with the water in which it was soaking and chopped chillies.
4. Add poppy seed paste to vegetables and cook over high heat until dry.
5. Adjust salt to taste, sprinkle sugar over vegetables and garnish with ghee.
6. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Chicken Laksa Curry

Chicken Laksa Curry

The Vietnamese store in town stocks bottles of Laksa paste manufactured in Thailand.  The main ingredients are onion, garlic, galanga, shrimp paste, peanuts and coconut milk.   It's already cooked and I've added it to Ramen noodles or noodle soup for a delicious lunch on a number of occasions.  Today I decided to use it in a chicken dish, similar to Burmese Chicken Sipyan.

Ingredients
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up
2 Tbsp. Laksa paste
2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 large russet potato, cut into bite-size pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 tsp. Shah Jeera or cumin seeds
1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in Laksa, ginger and garlic pastes for 15 minutes.
2. In a saucepan heat 2 Tbsp. oil over high heat and sputter cumin seeds, cinnamon and star anise.
3. Add onions and potatoes, lower heat to medium, cook potatoes until done and set aside.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in the same saucepan, add tomatoes and chicken along with marinade. Stir well.  
5. Simmer chicken until oil resurfaces, add cooked potatoes and onions and simmer for ten minutes.
6. Adjust salt to taste and remove from heat.
7. Garnish with ghee and serve with hot, cooked rice.

Minty Fish Curry

Minty Fish Curry

This recipe was inspired by a chicken dish Mum used to prepare.  Her father originally came up with the recipe. There are several differences between Mum's recipe and this one - hers uses chicken and yogurt, mine uses fish, tomatoes and tamarind.  It's a very quick and easy preparation and took only 10 minutes for the fish to cook through.

Ingredients
2 lbs. Tilapia fillets (or any white fish)
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stalks chopped
1 bunch mint, stalks removed
2 green chillies, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp. tamarind chutney
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup deep fried onions, crushed
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
7-8 curry leaves
4 whole red or green chillies
1 tsp. garam masala
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamoms
4 cloves
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. Cut fish fillets in half.
2. Puree cilantro, mint, 2 green chillies, garlic, tomato, tamarind chutney, salt and lemon juice in a blender.
3. Add 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil and rub all surfaces of fish with puree and crushed onions.
4. In a saucepan over high heat, sputter mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves, 4 chillies, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
5. Add fish to saucepan, lower heat to medium and simmer fish until done.
6. Sprinkle garam masala and sugar over fish and garnish with 1 tsp. ghee.
7. Adjust salt to taste and serve with hot cooked rice.

Recipes I Must Try

Here is a list of recipes that I found on other blogs that I must try out in my kitchen.
Sources:

Blog Hop

• Archana's Kitchen
• The Chef and Her Kitchen
• Easy Cooking
• Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Love2 Cook Malaysia
• My Jhola
• My Mom's Recipes - by Anshu Bhatnagar
• My Singapore Kitchen
• Sanjeev Kapoor
• Tarla Dalal

Rice Dishes

1. Baby Potato Biryani
2. Cauliflower Biryani 
3. Chettinad Mushroom Biryani
4. Easy Fish Biryani
5. Malabar Coconut Rice
6. Masala Congee 

Appetizers

1. Sago Potato Rolls

Vegetable Dishes

1. Bean Sprouts with Tofu
2. Brinjal Theyal
3. Cabbage Carrot Thoran
4. Carrot Thoran
5. Cauliflower Thoran
6. Chayote Thoran - Chayote/Darjeeling Squash cooked with Thoran Mix.
7. Mixed Vegetable Thoran
8. Quick Cauliflower Sabzi
9. Spinach Thoran
10. Spinach Stir Fried with Garlic
11. Thoran Mix - a shredded unsweetened coconut mix used to cook vegetables and dal.
12. Winged Beans with Eggs
13. Winged Beans Thoran

Main Dishes

1. Chicken Fry
2. Dry Chicken Curry (Kethal Chicken)
3. Fish Curry
4. Fish Fry
5. Ground Chicken and Eggs
6. Hot and Spicy Chili Crab
7. Lentils (Toor Dal) with Mutton and Brinjal
8. Malai Kofta Curry
9. Mutton Curry
10. Mutton Fry
11. Paneer Malai Kofta
12. Pork in Coconut Milk - Slow Cooked
13. Prawn & Potato Fry
14. Puliya Mulaku Fish Curry
15. Singapore Style Pepper Chicken
16. South Indian Mutton Curry
17. Special Chili Chicken

Lentils

1. Easy Sambar
2. Lentils (Toor Dal) with Mutton and Brinjal

Sauces and Accompaniments

1. Coconut Chutney
2. Roasted Coconut Chutney 

Noodles

1. Egg Noodles
2. Rice Vermicelli - Singapore Bee Hoon
3. Vegetable Lasagna with Mushroom & Spinach

Desserts

1. Aam Doi - Baked Mango Flavoured Yogurt - Tried and truly delicious!
2. Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Milk
3. Gulab Jamun - Pantua
4. Mango Burfi
5. Mango Fudge - Mango Burfi
6. Pati Shapta - Crepes with Coconut Filling
7. Shahi Tukda