Friday, January 9, 2009

Fish charishma



Ingredients: Betki fish 300 gms, white mustard seeds 2tsps, black mustard seeds 2tsps, 2 dried red chillies, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, ajwain seeds, black cumin seeds, saunf seeds, 3-4 green chillies, 2 small onions, 4 medium cloves of garlic, ginger 1/4th of the small finger, yoghurt 2-3 tsps, 2tbsps of turmeric powder, mustard oil, Coriander leaves, a medium bowl of water and salt.

Method: First cut the fish as shown in the figure. Wash properly and see that there is no scale left on the skin. Put a bit of salt and turmeric powder on the fish and cover each fish properly. Put 3tbsps of mustard oil in a pan. Heat the oil properly and put the pieces of fish in it. Fry the fish till it becomes crispy and reddish brown in color. While the fish is fried, in the meantime make a paste of mustard seeds(white & black), onions, garlic, ginger and dry red chillies. One can exclude the seeds if he/she wants less of heat. Once the fish is properly fried, take it out of the oil and again put ½ tsp of oil into the remaining. Mix a pinch of all the dry spices(cumin, fenugreek, ajwain, black cumin and saunf). When mixed, take a tsp of this mix of whole dry spices and put it in the hot oil and put the heat on low flame and fry till the spices turn light brown. Put the paste of mustard in it and stir it for sometime. Add yoghurt into this and keep on stirring till the oil separates from it and the raw smell of the yoghurt is no more present. Pour the water, whole green chilies and also the fried fish into this. Let the whole thing come to a boil. Let it bubble away for 5mins and then turn off the heat. Pour 1&1/2 tsps of mustard oil from top and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Vannilla Fruit Cake

Ingredients: Plain flour one & quater cups, sugar(fine dust) one & a half cup, butter (unsalted) one cup, three eggs, two tbsps pure vannilla extract, one tsp baking powder, cinnamon powder one tsp, raisins, cashews, almonds, cherries, and other dry fruits of your choice to make it extra rich, 100ml matured black Rum.
Method: Before starting the process, soak the dry fruits in the rum overnight. First beat the eggs till fluffy and foamy. See that it becomes half the bowl in which it is whisked. Then add to it flour, sugar, vannilla extract, cinnamon powder, melted butter and mix on low speed of the mixer till all ingredients are mixed but see that the bubbles of the egg do not burst (mix everything for 30secs preferrably). Then scrape off the sides of the mixing bowl and add baking powder and again mix the whole thing for 30 secs. Grease the bowl in which the cake will be baked and pour the whole mixture into it. Put the fruits soaked in rum on the top and put it into the 180 degrees preheated oven and bake for 35-40 mins at 180 degrees. Bring out the cake and put a skewer into it to see whether the cake is fully baked. If the batter sticks to the skewer then put it back to the oven for some more time otherwise bring it out fully and let it cool to be served.