Fish Fry urff Chepala Vepudu !!

Fish Fry / Chepala Vepudu

Fish Fry and Rasam Rice  is Amazing Combination!! It has the  most heavenly taste when cooked properly

Fish is most nutritious of all the Non-Vegetarian items and very good for health...

There are various varieties of fishes and each fish has its own cooking style / taste.. This recipe can be used for most of the fishes like Rohu / Mackerel (Vanjaram)/ King Fish / Seer Fish / Korameenu etc...People residing near Seashore places love Sea Fish Fry and people who are far away also love them a lot but they would probably only get Fresh Pond / River Fish... If you don't get any fresh fish, you are probably unlucky as you might have to adjust with a frozen fish.. Never Mind as long as you can eat Fish Fry.. Why wait long...

Simply dive into Recipe

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Marination Time - 1 Hr
Cooking / Fry Time - 8-10 mins per batch

Ingredients

Fish Pieces (Rohu / Vanjaram )- 1 kg.. The fish pieces shouldn't be very thick or very thin... 

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 TBSP

Salt to taste - Approximately 2 teaspoons

Chilli Powder - 2 TBSP

Coriander Powder - 1 TBSP

Cumin Powder - 1 Teaspoon

Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP

Turmeric - 1/2 Teaspoon

Oil - 2 teaspoons for marination

Lemon - 1 Large

Oil for Shallow Fry

TIP 1 : Wash fish thoroughly with Turmeric and salt so that the fishy smell is gone.

TIP 2 : After washing pat dry each and every fish so that there is absolutely no moisture

Mix all the Marination Ingredients (Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt, ChilliPowder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Pepper Powder, Lemon) in a bowl and mix thoroughly...  Now add Oil and mix it in the marinade...

TIP 3: Poke the fish pieces with a fork slightly before applying the marinade so that the marinade will seep in and stick to the fish pieces even while frying

Now apply the marinade to the fish pieces very carefully individually.. This will take time but having patience will reap good rewards..

Shallow Frying :

Now take a Tawa and put some oil on it... Spread the oil in the Tawa and some extra oil in the centre of the Tawa...

The flame should be low - medium..

Put the fish pieces carefully around tawa.. Not at the centre where extra Oil is there... ( The heat at the centre is more than in the outer areas...)

If you put around 5 Pieces in the Tawa then put the pieces in round robin fashion in the centre for 1 minute each and bring them back to the outer ring where heat is low... keep doing this for 4-5 minutes on one side of the fish... Now flip the fish pieces carefully to the other side and repeat the process of Round Robin in and out and after 1 minute take out the fish pieces and serve them HOT with onions...

TIP 4: While putting the Fish pieces on the Tawa, place the Top side down on the Tawa... i.e. When you put the Marinade, if Side A is on the top, put the Fish in the Tawa with Side A at the bottom because Side B some marinade might have been removed as it was doing sticking to the vessel... Now Before flipping on the Tawa, apply some  Marinade on Side B and flip it so that it goes to the bottom with proper Marinade :)

TIP 5: Remember the order in which you have placed the Fish Pieces in the Tawa so that, you know the order in which you have to put them in centre and also know the order in which you have to flip it

Fish Fry goes very well with Rasam Rice... 

Pepper Chicken - Crispy and with the Zing !

Pepper Chicken

Every now and then we keep wondering what if we can't go to restaurants... Will we be able to get the same taste and experience of our favourite dishes ? Do we have enough ingredients and cook ware to make them the most delicious dishes... All those fears can be laid to rest with this blog post... Don't worry because this is time to make that favorite dish..

Marination

Take Boneless Breast - 500 gms cut into decent size cubes (Make sure

Salt around - 2-3 tsp - ( For taste)

Chilli Powder - 2  tsp 

Black Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP

White Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP 

Oil - 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 TBSP

1 Egg White alone - Don't put egg yolk. Its Just Egg White

Add  Corn Flour - 2 TBSP

Maida - 1 TBPS

Kashmiri Lal Mirchi Powder - 1 Heaped Table Spoon for colour.. 

Mix them throughly.. Make sure that each piece gets enough coating and the coating is standing 

The consistency should be thick.. Not runny at all..

Leave it for 2 hrs...

After 2hrs just check for the pieces as Chicken might loose some water... Now just add little cornflour to bring it back to thick consistency if needed

Preparation

Now slit 10 Chillies into halves 

Also take a spring of curry leaves

Take a Kadai with Oil to Fry.. 

The oil should be fully hot... First fry the Chillies and Curry leaves till they are crisp and keep them aside.. 

Frying the Chillies in the oil makes the oil spicy.. You can use these chillies later if needed..This will be help while frying the Chicken..

Now put the chicken pieces in the oil such a way that entire Kadai is full of pieces.. This way pieces fry evenly.. Now slightly reduce the flame to Medium-High.. Keep mixing the pieces intermittently until they are 3/4 th  cooked.... Typically takes 2 to 3  minutes of deep frying .. Now take them aside

Sprinkle some Black pepper on them and just mix them slightly so that the chicken pieces are coated with pepper..

After entire batches of chicken are 3/4 th cooked, increase the flame to High for 2nd time frying... Now take pieces in small batches ..and put them in Hot Oil...

TIP 1: (Remember small batches and we want to cook on high flame very fast) . 

TIP 2: Don't touch them until 30 secs... ( They will be very very  sticky if you touch them).. After 30 secs or so Now start separating the chicken pieces and deep fry them for another 1 minutes... You can see the color changing quickly and they becoming crisp... You can feel the crispiness when you try to bounce them on your ladle... 

Take them out ...put them in a mixing bowl and toss little garam masala and also some pepper on top of all the chicken pieces... Enjoy your Restaurant style Pepper Chicken !! Please try the recipe and leave the comments

Eggizza -- a Pizza with a twist!!

This is a very simple but tasty version of egg based dish..If your kids are asking for a pizza but you are afraid to give them one, you can safely give them this version of pizza which is a PIZZA with a twist..

Read the recipe to know your ingredients....

1. Take 2 eggs and put some salt and whisk it thoroughly 

2. Finely Chop Jalapeños, capsicum, carrot, green Chillies, Olives, Onions

3. Sprinkle salt on Capsicum, carrot, onions .. Don’t mix all of them but just mix salt individually.

4. Take Butter in Pan.. Put it in SiM ...Pour the beaten egg in the pan

5. Then put onion which is mixed with salt.. 

6. Put some cheese ( I put shredded Cheddar ) On top 

7. then kind of place put capsicum, little carrot , jalepenos, olives .. You can add Mushrooms / little spinach/ Cooked Chicken pieces as needed.

8. Finely Chopped Green Chillies... 

9. Then on top Cheese again...(Shredded Mozarella Cheese)Put pepper on top,.. Then cover with Lid... All this while full SIM... Extreme low flame

10. .Next after may be 3-4 mins take out and   put oregano and Chilli Flakes 😀😀..

Chicken Tangdi Malai Kebab - Pleasing to Everyone and Everything!!

It's just not a Spicy World but you also have other Milder, Tasty, Juicy version to please the Kid in you .. Everyone now and then we keep hearing from the kids and others too , can we have something non spicy but tasty?? Can we have it in chicken.. Many a time we keep looking at those Kebab Rods hanging at the Tandoor in the restaurants and wish we can have them... How about if we can make them at home?? 

This is the place to know that you can do it!!

Ingredients

4 Chicken Drumsticks 

2 tsp White Pepper Powder

1/2 cup fresh cream

1/2 cup Hung Curd

1/2 cup Mozarella cheese

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

6 Green chillies

1/2 bunch Coriander leaves

1 TBSP Ginger Garlic Paste

1 cup Salted Buttermilk

Salt to taste

Butter for Basting

There are 3 stages of Marination which I am going to explain

Marination  Stage1 

Put some gashes in the drumsticks and soak them in Salted Buttermilk for 3-4 hrs or overnight.. The buttermilk should be smooth and shouldn't have any chunks in it... Marinating in Buttermilk will make the meat tender and meat will retain juiciness

Marination Stage2

Take out the Chicken and drain out excess Buttermilk..Now add little salt, 1 tbsp pepper, ginger Garlic paste and Lemon juice and keep it aside ( The lid should be closed).. This should be left alone for 30 mins to 1 hr

Marination Stage3

Now in a bowl, take cheese, hung curd and mix them thoroughly... Knead them together... Make a paste out of cheese....

Now add cream and mix throughly.. Add little salt ( Remember we added salt twice already )  .. Now taste the mixture and see if salt is enough ..

Add remaining 1 TBSP White Pepper Powder ( you can add more if you want).. 

Make a coarse paste of green chilli and coriander... Now add that coarse paste and mix thoroughly...Now again taste the mixture .. If all good then coat the Drumsticks with this marinade fully....

Now stick the drumsticks into the skewers...Now baste it with Butter all around..

To Cook in Oven,

Preheat the oven to 250˚C and place the skewers in the middle rack..... Now switch on the Toast Mode ( Both top coil and bottom coil to be on with Convection fan on)

Keep watching and after every 10 minutes, look and brush with some Butter.. After 20 Minutes, flip them over and baste with some more butter... if you have earlier marinade just brush it on the Drumsticks if possible.. After another 20 minutes, take them out.. In total 40 Minutes.. You can wrap with foil at the other end...

I had an OTG Morphy Richards 52 RCSS which has Rotisserie and I used it for perfection.. I need not place the chicken on the racks but its a revolving Rotisserie that did the trick

Enjoy your Chicken Tangdi/ Drumsticks Malai Kebab along with your children...

Prawns Biryani - Who can resist?

Lovers of seafood will never leave any chance to devour this delectable dish.. Prawns and Biryani are 2 words which make us drool over and over....Prawns are something which are very difficult to cook... Reason being if you cook for lesser time, you will have that raw smell / taste and undercook.. If you overcook it, you will end up with a rubbery prawn which I am sure you definitely don't want.

Tips and timings in this regard always help.. Don't miss them in the following post..

Here goes Prawns Biryani Recipe

To Serve 3-4 people depending on an average appetite :)

Prawns -25-30 Prawns medium sized

Marination

add 1 tsp salt, 1 .5 tsp Chilli Powder 1.5 tsp GingerGarlic Paste 1 tsp Coriander Powder 1 tsp Cumin Powder

Mix all of them thoroughly and keep them aside for 10-15 Minutes

TIP 1 : Don't marinate Prawns for long as salt will pull out all the water from the Prawn... We do not want to lose moisture in Prawns before...

Now take a Flat Bottom Wide Pan… Put 3 TBSP Oil in it…Put the pan of the medium to High Heat ( Around 6 Number in US Stoves)… Try to see that oil is spread across the entire pan… The Oil should kind of start spluttering… That's when put the prawns carefully inside.. wait for 45 seconds and flip the prawns… The prawns should change colour ( turn from translucent to white ) After flipping wait for 30 seconds and flip the prawns again….

TIP 2: Remember the order in which you put the prawns inside the pan. Try to put in circular shape...While Flipping ensure that you follow the same order...

Keep Flipping them twice gently

Lower the Heat to SIM ( Number 3 in US ) Add 3 TBSP of Curd or Yoghurt 1 tsp of coriander powder 1 tsp of Cumin powder 1 tsp of salt 1 tsp of Chilli powder .5 tsp of Garam Masala powder 1 tsp of Biryani Masala ( Shan Biryani Masala) 1 handful of Brown Fried Onions 1 handful of coriander leaves and some mint leaves

Now increase the temperature from SIM to MEDIUM ( 3 to 6 again)… Keep Stirring the entire mixture for 2 minutes…. All the oil will come out and forms a good texture…. Now, switch off the flame and allow it to cool..Take out excess Oil from the mixture if you feel…

Soak 2 cups of Biryani Rice for 30-40 minutes

Take Plenty of Water… (Around 2 ltrs water)

Put 2 heap full of Tsp Salt in it 1 tsp Ghee 1 Black Cardamom 4-5 Green Cardamom 8 Cloves 2 inches worth of cinnamon 1 tsp Shahi Jeera

Let the water come to the boil… Now add the soaked rice… Keep Checking the Rice.. as soon as the Rice Grains start Twirling upside down, it is an indication to take out and drain the rice….It takes close to 3.5 to 4 Minutes …

TIP 3: Since rice to water ratio is more here, the rice will cook really fast and keep a close watch.. The Rice should be 85% -90% cooked.

The time taken to cook the rice is exactly the time needed for the prawns to cool down and soak in the masala etc…

Now start heating the prawns pan again and put it at little above SIM (Number 4 )for around 30 secs or so….. After 30 secs start adding the rice.. On the top, add the Brown Fried Onions, Ghee, 1 tsp of Biryani Masala, .5 tsp of salt, little Garam Masala, some coriander leaves, some mint leaves… Cover the entire Pan with 2 layers of Aluminium Foil, put the lid on.. Turn the heat to SIM ( Number 2). And leave it on for around 20 Minutes….

After 20 Minutes take and serve the wonderful Prawns Biryani !!! Please leave your comments and post pictures here

Manchow Soup / Hot and Sour Soup

I would like to have 1/2 spicy soup please along with starters on a rainy day... Spicy soup?? Ok... Got you!! Hot and Sour Soup is the answer....Can I have some Fried Noodles too along? Ok then it is Manchow soup then :) .. No Matter the place , no matter the age, no matter the time, we can always enjoy a bowl if not two bowls of Hot and Sour Soup

You need 

Finely Chopped Garlic (20 pods)

Finely Chopped Ginger ( 2 inches)

Finely Chopped Green Chilli (3 medium)

Finely Chopped 1/2 Big Onion

Finely Chopped 2 large carrots

Finely chopped 5 medium size mushrooms

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

2 eggs

1/2 cup Sweet Corn

3 heaped tea spoon corn flour

5 cups vegetable stock

1 lemon

Take a pan add 1 tbsp oil .. put on medium flame

Add Garlic, green Chilli and Ginger

Sauté for 30 secs

Add onion .. Sauté 1.5 minutes

Add carrot , cabbage, sweet corn, mushroom...

Add salt and pepper according to the added vegetables

Now sauté for 2 minutes

For Manchow or Hot and Sour Soup

1 teaspoon Tomato Ketchup

1 teaspoon Chill Sauce

10 drops Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soya sauce

Add just 1 cup water initially and then add Tomato Sauce, Soya Sauce, Chill Sauce and Vinegar

Mix thoroughly and then add remaining 4 cups of water...

Add total 5 cups water..

Add salt and pepper again .. Now according to the water added.. It should be little salty as later we are going to add Corn Flour

Add Lemon juice and just before water fully boils add the following corn flour slurry and keep mixing it..

Make slurry of corn flour—-

Add corn flour mixed in seperately in 5 tbsp of water.. mix it thoroughly so that there are no clumps

Keep mixing.. After adding corn flour, the water cools down..

Now again wait till the water just boils not fully boils

.. Now very slowly add egg ( two eggs beaten nice) 

Add one tbsp of egg and verry slowly stir in straight line motion ... 

Add another tbsp of egg and then repeat the stirring verrryyy slowly.. Little strands of egg drop will form..

Once everything boils you can bring it down and serve it along with Fried Noodles... By the way, the recipe for Fried Noodles given below :)

For Manchow Soup Fried Noodles ,

Boil Hakka Noodles.. Let them cool down, add little corn flour and deep fry them for very long until it becomes like chowmein

Hakka Noodles Veg / Egg - Cravings Satiated!!

How many of us had that CRAVING for those Hakka Noodles and wished someone helped us satiate them..If you have Kids, then you sure are going to see a gleeeeee on their faces after making this when you follow the recipe :)

Don't forget the tips ..Otherwise you will lose the Plot

Ingredients

1 Packet - Ching's Hakka Noodles

1/2 cup - Julienne Cut Cabbage

4 Eggs ( For Egg Hakka Noodles)

5-6 Tablespoon Oil

10 chopped Garlic Cloves

2 Finely Chopped Green Chillies

1/2 cup - Julienne Cut Carrot (1 medium size carrot should be good).. Julienne cut is around 2 inches tall and as thiiin as possible 1-2 mm width

1/2 cup - Julienne Cut Capsicum ( If you can get red and green then great or else just green capsicum should do

3 Chopped Medium sized Mushrooms

1/2 small onion finely chopped

1-2 Teaspoon Dark Soya Sauce ( Optional)

1 teaspoon vinegar ( Along with Soya Sauce)

Pinch of Aginomoto or Tasting Salt or Chinese Salt

1 TBSP Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

Garnishing

1 medium onion finely sliced

3 Spring Onion Stalks

Preparation of Noodles 

Take a wide pan for boiling water.  Add lots of Water - may be 10-12 Cups of water...Add 2 TBSP of oil to the water and bring it to boil

TIP 1 : You need to add plenty of water so that the noodles get lot space to swim separately otherwise they will start sticking together 

TIP 2 : By adding oil, the noodles stay separate after boiling..

For boiling it may take around 10-12 minutes.. Just when it starts to boil, add the noodles from the packet.

after 3-4 minutes ( keep stirring in between), the noodles are almost done 75%.. Don't overcook them, otherwise you will end up using another packet of noodles :) 

Now, drain the entire noodles and put them under running cold water. 

TIP 3: Make sure that the noodles are washed completely and also there is absolutely no heat in the noodles. They have to become cold.... Any heat left will make noodles to keep cooking... So absolutely no heat..

Spread the noodles on a flat surface,  and keep them separate.. Put some oil on them so that they stay seperated

You have to use a Thin Wok and always on high heat flame. All the chinese cooking should be done on hiiigh heat

In case of Egg Noodles, we need to prepare Eggs seperately

In the Hooot Kadai, put some 3 Tablespoons of oil and then drop the eggs.. (Don't beat the eggs before)..Just drop the eggs, add sufficient salt and chilli powder... Be generous in Chilli powder..Now start mixing the egg with spatula... There should be chunks of egg .. Don't break it to too small as burji.. NO..... Just little chunks make it thorough and good.. It will take 2 mins approximately... Since its on high heat, it will cook fast.. Remove it and keep it aside

Now, add 2 TBSP of oil to the Hot kadai

Add Chopped garlic and Green Chillies.. Saute for 15 secs

Add chopped 1/2 small onion and saute for 10 secs..

Add cabbage and add salt, chillipowder sufficient enough for cabbage... Saute for 15 secs only.. Cabbage will fry very fast so make its not burnt..

Now add Carrot and add salt, chillipowder sufficient enough for carrot..The water from carrot will make sure that cabbage is not burnt.. So, fry it for 30 secs....They should be little crunchy..

Now add Capsicum and add salt, chillipowder sufficient enough for capsicum..Saute for 15 secs..

TIP 4:

Keep adding salt and chilli powder sufficient enough whenever you are adding vegetable... That way, it will ensure that you know that the quantity of salt and also, all the vegetables will get salt and chilli powder evenly..

Now add the mushroom and salt, chillipowder and saute for 15 secs

Now add the egg fried separately to the mix..Add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and mix throughly.. 

Optional part - Add 1 teaspoon of Soya Sauce now and mix thoroughly so that all the vegetables are coated..

Now add the Noodles on the top.. Add sufficient salt, chillipowder , garam masala , ajinomoto, soyasauce on the top.. Now Keep mixing the noodles in a special way...Just lift the noodles with the spatula and let them fall down slowly by shaking...Make sure all the noodles are lifted and dropped... Don't mix the noodles like curry.

TIP 6: Always cook noodles in small portions.. The key is everything should be quick... More Quantity means more time to cook.. More time means instead of frying, they will boil and crunchiness is lost

After tossing the noodles .. Just before putting down the flame, add vinegar and toss them again so that Vinegar is mixed..

Put them down... Add chopped spring onion stalks, and sliced onions

Noodles Craving Satiated... Happy  Cooking and Happy Eating !!!

Please do post your comments and also help spread the Joy of Cooking