Whole Wheat Soft Tacos with crumbled meat

An Indo-Mexican version of the Tacobell soft tacos.Verdict - It is pretty good , the ground beef that you get here in India seems to have a lot more flavor, and the whole wheat chappathis that were used instead or corn tortillas were tastier and more healthy.The cheese I got could have been better and I used garlic mayo instead of sour cream , which was ok .

Ingredients:

1. Chappathis - 10 (make poori sized chappatis)
2. Ground beef - 1/2 kg
3. Taco seasoning - 2 tbsp
4. Iceberg lettuce - 2 cups chopped
5. Tomato - onion salsa - 5 tbsp
6. grated cheese - 2 tbsp
7. sour cream or mayo - 2 tbsp

To make the taco seasoning you need

1. corn flour - 2 tbsp
2. chilly powder - 1 tbsp
3. black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
4. cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
5. garlic powder - 1 tbsp ( or use finely chopped fresh garlic while cooking)
6. salt - to taste
7. Oregano - 1 tsp
8. coriander powder - 1 tsp

Mix all the seasonings together and you taco seasoning is ready.

To make the tomato onion salsa you need

1. ripe tomatoes - 1 chopped fine
2. onion - 1 medium chopped fine
3. Lime juice - 1 squeeze
4. salt - to taste
5. cilantro - 1 tsp chopped

Mix all the indgedients and the salsa is ready

To make the crumbled meat :
Heat a nonstick frying pan to medium high.
Add in the ground beef and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon .
Let the meat cook for 5 minutes ,stir well and let it brown slightly.
Add in 1/2 a cup of water and 2 tbsp of the taco seasoning and stir well .
lower the flame and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes until the beef is cooked and the cornflour has thickened.

To assemble the tacos :
Lay one chappathi flat on a plate , add a tbsp of ground meat , lettuce , salsa , cheese and mayo .
Fold and serve.

Karimeen Fry

The green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is also known as the pearlspot or karimeen in Malayalam and koral in Bengali.The oval-shaped fish, which often serves as Kerala's icon in the minds of gourmets, was officially declared the State fish in 2010.












It is found throughout Kerala, especially in Kerala Backwaters around Alleppey, and in western flowing rivers in Karnataka, and backwaters of Andhra Pradesh. It feeds on algae, plant material and insects.
It is my favorite Fresh water fish, with a sweet delicate flavor that melts in your mouth.As tasty as it is, you have to be very careful of the bones which tend to be pretty sharp and strong.Kids should be allowed to have this fish only under adult supervision.
If you are lucky enough to get some fresh Karimeen , do try it.I got some that were live and splashing - doesnt get fresher than that.

 












Ingredients:

1. Karimeen - 1 kg ( 4 medium sized fish)
2. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp (use a mix of kashmiri and red chilly powder)
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
5. salt - to taste
6. pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7. garlic powder - 1 tsp (optional)
8. curry leaves - 1 spring
9. Coconut Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:
Clean the Fish , wash and drain , make gashes and keep aside.
Make a paste of  all the ingredients except coconut oil and curry leaves and apply on the fish.
Add coconut oil to a nonstick pan and add some curry leaves .
When the oil is medium hot add the Fish and fry until slightly browned.
Flip and fry the other side.

NOTE : Unlike most fish Karimeen is cleaned by slicing the scales from the body , and not just by de-scaling it.You need a really sharp knife and practice to get the technique right.Freezing the fish for 30 minutes will help ease the cleaning process.

Neer Dosa

Ingredients:

1. Sona Masoori Rice - 1 glass
2. Salt - to taste
3. Oil - to smear the pan

Method:

Saok the rice in water for 4-5 hours.
Grind to a smooth paste with water.
Add enough water to the batter so that it is a thin ,almost water like consistency mixture.
Add salt to taste and keep aside for an hour or 2.
Heat a nonstick pan that has sides (preferably), the pan has to be hot.
Smear the pan with a drop of oil.
mix the bater and pour 1 ladleful and swirl the pan so that the batter spreads into a thin round shape.
cook for a minute and fold into triangles.
transfer to a plate and keep covered while you make the next one.
Serve with chutney or any veg,egg,meat or fish curry of your choice.

NOTE: Neer dosa is traditionally made on dosa stone, I tried but couldnt get the dosa to come off the stone .It stuck like it would never come off.So I used nonstick pan and found that having sides help, because then the batter doesnt flow off the pan.This dosa come out very light and soft.I got around 25 dosas with 1 big glass of rice.

Mathi Achar / Pickled Sardine

Ingredients:

1. Sardines - 15 cleaned, washed and cut into 2
2. Garlic - 2 pods peeled
3. Ginger - 2 inch piece chopped
4. Curry leaves - 2 stalks
5. Green chillies - 5 cut into thick rings
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. chilly powder - 2 tbsp
8. salt - to taste
9. vinegar - 1 cup plus more to taste
10. oil - 1/2 cup
11. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Marinate the fish in a mixture of salt and turmeric powder and fry until it is crisp. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp fresh oil and splutter the mustard and methi seeds.
Add the curry leaves , garlic, ginger ,green chillies and salt to taste and saute until garlic is slightly soft.
Add in chilly and turmeric powder and saute for a minute.
Pour in 1/2 cup of water, salt to taste and the vinegar and bring to simmer.
Add the fried fish and mix well.
Taste after an hour and adjust salt and vinegar as necesary.

Cabbage Carrot Thoran

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 2 cups slices thin
2. Carrot - 1 cup grated , about 2 medium carrots
3. green chillies - 5 chopped
4. curry leaves - 1 stalk
5. mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. oil - 1 tbsp
7. shallots - 4 sliced
8. grated coconut - 1 cup
9. turmeric powder - 2 pinches
10. salt - to taste.

Method:
Heat oil in a frying pan and splutter the mustard seeds.
Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked but still retain a crunch - 5 to 8 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Beef Ribs and Potatoes

Ingredients :

1. Beef Ribs - 1 kg
2. Onion - 3
3. Green chillies - 2 slit
4. Ginger - 2 inch piece chopped
5. Garlic - 1.5 pods peeled
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. coarsely Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 2 tsp heaped
9. Coriander powder - 3 tsp heaped
10. Crushed Meat masala - 1 tsp (cardamom , fennel, cinnamon, cloves and pepper )
11. curry leaves - 3 springs
12. vinegar - 2 tbsp
13. Oil - 2 tbsp
14. Potatoes - 2 peeled and cubed

Method:
The Beef in India takes pretty long to cook , so I have precooked it before making the masala.
Precooking the beef with minimal spices makes it versatile enough to to cooked in larger quantities and stored in the fridge or freezer. This can then be made into stews, gravies, frys , masalas etc.
Wash and drain the beef and add to pressure cooker.
Add in 1 onion roughly chopped and 1/2 of the garlic cloves and 1/2 of the ginger plus the green chillies and crushed peppercorn.
Add the vinegar, turmeric powder and salt to taste and mix with a spoon.
Do not add any water. Cover and pressure cook for 1 whistle.Once the pressure is filled lower the flame and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the flame off and let the meat sit in the cooker undisturbed until the pressure is released by itself.Meanwhile make the masala.
Heat oil in a frying pan and add the remaining onions thinly slices, ginger and garlic chopped, curry leaves and salt to taste and saute until the onions start to brown.
Add in the chilly and coriander powder and the meat masala and stirfry untl the raw smell is gone.
Open the pressure cooker and add the beef and gravy to this masala , add in the cubed potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes or until the beef and potatoes are cooked.
Serve with roti or Ghee Rice.

Vellarikka Moru curry

Ingredients :

1. Kani Vellari /Indian cucumber - 1 cup peeled and cubed
2. Curd / Yogurt - 2 cups beaten.
3. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped fine
4. Garlic - 5 cloves crushed and chopped
5. Shallots - 4 sliced thin
6. Green chillies - 2 cut diagonally
7. Dry red chillies - 2 broken
8. curry leaves - 2 springs
9. cumin - 1/2 tsp powdered
10. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12. fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Add the cubed cucumber , 1/2 cup water , a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste and cook until the cucumber is soft. Keep this aside to cool. When cooled add the beaten curd and mix well.
In a pan heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
add in the dry red chilly and curry leaves .
Add the shallots , ginger , garlic and green chilly and saute for 2 minutes.
Add in powdered cumin and turmeric powder
Saute until the shallots are golden brown.
Turn the flame off and pour this mixture into the curd cucumber mix and stir well.
Warm this on low flame for few minutes.
Do not simmer or overheat as the curd will curdle.
Serve with rice.

Venison Cutlets

Ingredients :

1. Venison/Buffalo/Beef meat - 1 kg (I have used Venison/ game meat)
2. Potatoes - 5 medium sized boiled and peeled
3. Green chillies - 5 chopped
4. Onion - 2 chopped
5. Garlic - 1 pod peeled and chopped
6. ginger - 1 inch piece chopped fine
7. curry leaves - 2 springs
8. pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. Vinegar - 1 tsp
10. Oil - 2 tbsp + enough to deep fry
11. Egg WHite - 2 beaten
12. Bread crumbs - 2 cups

Method:
Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes and pressure cook it with salt , vinegar , turmeric powder and 1 tsp pepper powder until the meat is cooked.Pressurecooking time depends of the type of meat you are using.
Open the cooker and if there is any gravy in the cooker - keep the flame on high and cook until the water has evaporated.
Let the meat cool.
Add the meat to a blender /food processor and process until shreaded (10 - 15 seconds)
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the chopped ginger, garlic, onion ,green chillies and curry leaves and saute until it is soft,
Add in the shreaded meat and stirfry for 5 minutes.
Add salt and vinegar and pepper powder to taste.
Turn the flame off.
Once the meat mixture has cooled down a bit add in the boiled mashed potatoes , and salt to taste and mix well.
Taste for salt and form into oval or circle shape and keep aside.
Heat oil to deepfry the cutlets.
While the oil is warming up dip each formed cutlet into eggwhite mix and roll it is breadcrumbs and keep aside.
When Oil is hot add cutlets and deepfry until golden brown.
Serve with Tomato ketchup and Onion salad.

Mathiyum Mangayum Peera Pattichatu

sardine is a small type of oily fish named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia where they once lived in abundance.

Sardines are rich in Omega 3 fatty acid, which reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.Recent studies suggest that regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimers .These fatty acids may also help lower blood sugar levels a small amount. They are also a good source of Vit D, Calcium , Protein and B12
Because they are low in the food chain, sardines are very low in contaminants, such as mercury ,relative to other fish commonly eaten by humans.

Sardines are one of my favourite fish , we rarely got fresh Sardines in US and when we did get it - It was a hassle to clean .Here in India the women in the fish market clean it for you .So I have been feasting on Sardines - fried, curried,sauteed , pickled what not.

 Ingredients:

1. Sardines - 15 cleaned and cut in 2
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Green chillies - 7 or 8 cut into big pieces
4. Garlic - 1 pod peeled and crushed
5. Shallots - 6 peeled and crushed
6. Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
7. Curry leaves - a hand full
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt - to taste
10. Green mango - 1 whole peeled and cut into 1 inch thick slices.
11. OR
12. instead of Green mango you can use Cocum /Kudam puli - 4 pieces soaked in water (add to taste depending on how sour the fruit is)

Method:

Add all the ingredients except the cleaned fish into a clay pot and squeeze and mix well with your hands.
Pour in a cup of water and add the fish .
Cover and cook until the fish is cooked and the gravy has thickened.
This curry does not need to be refrigerated for 2 days , just keep warming it at night until it gets dry after the first day.
Tastes amazing with Kanji a day after it is prepared.

Broiled Sea Bass

Broiling is one of the simplest methods of cooking fish .Try and get the freshest fish possible.The only spices added are salt , pepper , ginger slices and lemon ,You are not marinating the fish for long for the spices to really flavor the flesh so you need the freshest fish .I have used Sea bass ,which has white , sweet delicate tasting flesh.

Ingredients:

1. Sea Bass or any fresh Fish - 1 whole medium sized
2. Lemon - 1 sliced
3. Ginger - 2 inch piece sliced into thin rings
4. Salt - to taste
5. Pepper - to taste
6. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Clean,make cuts ,wash and pat dry the fish .
Coat the oven proof dish with oil and place the fish in the dish and season with salt and pepper .
Insert lemon and ginger slices into the cavity and cuts on the flesh.
Squeeze some lime juice on top.
Broil on high until the fleash starts flaking and turns opaque.
Serve with sirracha hotsauce and more lime .

Rasoi Magic + Shan masala Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is not on my list of favorite dishes. It is too rich , kind of sweet and not spicy for my liking.Dont get me wrong ..I like rich , I like creamy , I like sweet - but not in my non veg preparations . The rest of the family enjoy it .I happened to get a packet of Rasio magic butter paneer masala as a sample to try out from a grocery store.This is not the real butter chicken recipe , I just made it up with what I had on hand.

Ingredients :

1. Chicken - 1/2 kg skinless bone in
2. Shan Tandoori masala - 2 tbsp
3. Lime Juice - 1 tbsp
4. Onion - 2 big cut into big chunks
5. Tomatoes - 2 cut into big pieces
6. Rasoi Magic Paneer Butter Masala - 1 pack
7. Milk - 1 cup
8. whole spices - 1 tbsp (2 cloves , 3 cardamom , 10 black pepper , 1/2 inch piece cinnamon stick)
9. kasuri Methi - 1 tbsp
10. Oil - 4 tbsp

Method:

Wash and drain the chicken pieces and marinate it with lime juice and shan tandoori masala. Keep aside for an hour.
Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated chicken pieces and saute until chicken is almost cooked.
Remove the chicken pieces and into the remaining oil , add the whole spices and onion chumks.
Saute until onion starts to turn brown.
Add in tomato and saute until tomato gets mushy.
Turn the flame off .
transfer the sauteed onion and tomato mixture into a blender/food processor and blend until it is smooth.
Return the blended masala into the same pan in which you fried them and saute for 5 minutes.
Add in the chicken pieces and cover and cook until chicken is completely cooked.
Add the Rasoi magic masala to a glass of milk and stir well.
Add this mix to the chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes .
Sprinkle a tbsp of Kasuri methi on top and garnish with cream .
Serve with Naan or Roti.