Smoked Mackerel

Being a Manglorean I have always had memories of eating the Mackerel fish in the rich spicy coconut and tamarind gravy that mom makes in the traditional earthen pot. So I decided to add my innovation to this humble fish and create something which has traditional flavours with a modern twist.

TEA SMOKED MACKEREL COOKED IN TURMERIC LEAVES WITH A BASIL & MINT PASTE

Ingredients:
Mackerel fish
Turmeric leaves
Aluminium foil
Coal
Green tea leaves

For the marinade:
Corriander leaves
Mint leaves
Basil leaves
(Take Corriander, Mint and Basil iin equal quantities)
Ginger Garlic Paste (make it fresh at home)
Green Chillies
Lemon Zest
Lemon juice
Honey
Salt
Pepper

• Make a fine paste with all the ingredients, adjust thickness with water, grind it into paste consistency
• Clean the mackerel and marinate in the paste for at least 2 hours
• You can leave the bones in the fish or use a boneless option

• Before cooking we have to smoke the fish
• Heat pieces of coal on the gas flame
• Keep the marinated fish on a plate along with a small steel bowl
• Transfer the coal into the bowl
• Add a spoon of oil and 2 generous pinches of the green tea leaves
• This will result in a lot of tea flavoured smoke

• Cover the plate of fish and smoke with another vessel
• Ensure that the smoke doesn't escape
• Allow to smoke for 10 to 12 minutes until the smoke disappears

• Wrap the fish in Turmeric leaves
• Further wrap the whole thing in Aluminium foil
• Cooking it on a hot pan over very slow flame

• Cook on each side for at least 7 to 10 minutes and then flip it over
• Total cooking time 20 -25 minutes
• Once cooked, unwrap and serve hot with sliced onion and lime wedges

So that is the humble Mackerel made with a modern twist of basil, honey and tea smoke but still carries the traditional aromas of the green masala and turmeric leaves.

Try out different marinades. Use different meats. Vegetarians can also use the smoking technique to add a new flavour dimension. Go nuts with your own combinations.

Remember Good food doesn't need good recipe just the love to make it

EASY SALAD MAKING

EASY SALAD MAKING

ALL SALADS ARE A COMBINATION OF PULSES, FRUITS/VEGETABLES, FRESH HERBS & DRESSING. MENTIONED BELOW ARE THE LIST OF PULSES, VEGETABLES AND HERBS THAT CAN USED IN A VARIETY OF COMBINATIONS. GO CRAZY AND TRY OUT YOUR UNIQUE COMBINATIONS. NON VEG LOVERS CAN ALSO ADD BOILED CHICKEN OR BOILED PRAWNS AND MAKE THEIR SALAD MORE DELICIOUS.

CHOICE OF PULSES
Green Chana         Sprouted & Boiled
Brown Chana         Sprouted & Boiled
Rajma                 Sprouted & Boiled
Black Eyed Peas Sprouted & Boiled

CHOICE OF VEGETABLES
Onion                 Finely chopped
Tomato                 Deseed & finely chopped
Cucumber                 Peeled, Deseeded & finely chopped
Beetroot                 Finely chopped
Red Bell Pepper Finely chopped
Yellow Bell Pepper Finely chopped
Spring Onion White Finely chopped
Capsicum                 Finely chopped
American Corn         Boiled
Baby Corn                 Boiled
Broccoli                 Boiled
Carrots                 Finely chopped
Raw Mango         Finely chopped
Green Beans         Boiled
Lettuce                 Torn into bite size pieces
Bean Sprouts         Sprouted
Jalapeno                 Finely chopped
Olives                 Finely chopped
Dry Walnuts         Crushed
Mango                 Finely chopped
Pineapple                 Finely chopped

CHOICE OF HERBS
Corriander leaves Finely chopped
Mint leaves         Finely chopped
Basil leaves         Finely chopped  - Available in all supermarkets, look for the brand 'Trikaya'
Rosemary leaves Finely chopped
Thyme leaves         Finely chopped
Parsley                 Finely chopped
Chive                 Finely chopped
Celery sticks         Finely chopped
Spring Onion Greens Finely chopped
Dill leaves                 Finely chopped

FOR DRESSING
CHOICE OF ACID
Lemon Juice
Fresh Orange juice
Flavoured Vinegar
Soya Sauce

CHOICE OF OIL
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salad Oil

CHOICE OF SWEETNER
Honey

CHOICE OF SEASONINGS
Salt
Pepper
Chat Masala
Garlic Powder

FOR ANY DRESSING MIX EQUAL PARTS OF ACID, OIL AND SWEETNER WITH A PINCH OF SEASONING. MIX EVERYTHING WELL AND EMULSIFY THE DRESSING. ADD IT JUST BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SERVE THE SALAD.

Remember,  Good food doesn't need good recipe, just the love to make it. 

Mangalore on Mind......Kori Rotti

Can’t wait for my trip to Mangalore in April. Mangalore, my native place is somewhere I look forward to visit every year. Whatever the reason may be (usually its some religious occasion) it’s perfect to get away from this daily hectic routine that we call life here in Mumbai. Mangalore has many aspects which makes it special. The greenery, lush fields, old houses, huge temples, express buses, the people and most of all the food. Many dishes that originated there are today a specialty even in Mumbai. The Neer  Dosa , the Kori Gassi,  the Mutton Sukka, the Meen Curry and so on. But the top of the charts has to be the “Kori Rotti”. It is a Mangalorean Chicken Curry served on thin crispy rice sheets (rotti). No prizes to guess “Kori” means chicken in Tulu (native language). Now there are many versions of this dish made differently in different parts of Mangalore. I will share my mother’s recipe because for me that’s what I have grown up eating and that’s my taste of Mangalore.

The recipe below is for the Chicken Curry to be served on the Rotti. Rotti can be easily purchased from any Mangalore Store or if you have a friend travelling to Mangalore they can get it for you.

KORI ROTTI

Ingredients:

Chicken (curry cuts)	1 kg
Onion	150 gms
Tomato	100 gms
Corriander Leaves	10 gms
Oil	200 ml
Garam Masala powder	10 gms
Salt	to taste
For the masala:
Coconut	400 gms
Dry Red Chilly (Bedki)	20 gms
Corriander Seeds	30 gms
Whole Jeera	10 gms
Mustard Seeds	10 gms
Ajwain	5 gms
Methi Seeds	5 gms
Onion	150 gms
Garlic	15 gms
Curry Leaves	3 to 4 leaves

Method:

1. Start with the masala. Heat oil and roast the dry red chillies, keep aside.

2. Roast grated coconut till golden brown, keep aside.

3. Roast sliced onion, chopped garlic, curry leaves and all the whole spices.

4. Grind all the roasted ingredients together into a fine paste.

5. Heat oil and sauté onions till golden brown.

6. Add the chicken and sear it with the onion.

7. Add the masala paste and mix it with the chicken.

8. Add chopped tomato and garam masala powder.

9. Cook till chicken is done and the masala leaves oil.

10. Add water to adjust consistency of the gravy.

11. Add salt to taste and chopped coriander to garnish.

12. Pour hot chicken curry on crispy rotti, enjoy.

I will not suggest many variations as this recipe still makes my mouth water whenever mom makes it….with a dash of her love.

Remember Good food doesn't need good recipe, just the love to make it.

Best Beef Chilly Fry....at Leopold Cafe

What food gets you salivating the moment you start thinking about it? For me it has to be the Beef Chilly Fry at Leopold Café. Arguably the best you will ever taste, the beef served here is so tender that it melts in your mouth. The balance of the sauce and the spice is perfect to get you nostalgic with every bite. A perfect accompaniment to this is a portion of garlic bread and a tower of beer (yes a tower...a pint won’t be enough). Adding to this thrilling combination is the ambience at Leopold Café which celebrates the South Mumbai culture of Irani restaurants. The retro interiors, the foreign tourist customers, the elaborate yet pocket friendly menu, the history of the café, altogether makes drinking beer in the afternoon not such a big deal after all. Coming back to the beef, the key is how tender the meat is, which makes you wonder how a tough meat such as beef melts in your mouth. The answer I believe is the quality and cut of the meat (best cut being sirloin or tenderloin), and also a good tenderizer to marinate it over night so that it soaks in the flavor and the result is the juiciest meat. The onion and capsicum are cooked just enough so they are crunchy when you bite them. Like other Indo Chinese dishes the garlic doesn’t over power the flavor. I tried to make it at home several times but couldn’t achieve the same perfection. Even though most of the people I meet are non vegetarians, very few are beef eaters (not the gin). I recommend you start at Leo’s and meat eating will never be the same. I think this dish even beats chicken. I challenge you guys to find a better beef chilly fry in Mumbai. And if you do….please let me know immediately!

For guys who want to try this at home, here is my tribute to the best beef chilly in town, my honest effort to match a legendary dish.

BEEF CHILLY FRY

Ingredients:

Beef	500 gms
Ginger Garlic Paste	50 gms
Garlic (finely chopped)	10 gms
Onions (thin slices)	150 gms
Capsicum (thin slices)	100 gms
Green Chillies (slit straight)	20 gms
Soya Sauce	50 ml
Oyster Sauce	20 ml
Vinegar	10 ml
Oil	100 ml
Crushed Peppercorns	10 gms
Salt	to taste

Method:

1.    Cut the beef into thin strips (like Stroganoff).

2.    Marinate with ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soya sauce, salt and crushed pepper.

3.    Keep marinated beef overnight to tenderize it.

4.    Heat oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic.

5.    Add beef and stir fry.

6.    Halfway through the beef, add the onions, chillies, capsicum and stir fry.

7.    When the beef starts leaving water, remove it from the wok or else all the juices will be out and the meat will end up dry.

8.    Add soya sauce, oyster sauce, salt and crushed pepper to the veggies in the wok and make a dry mix (make sure the veggies remain crunchy, don’t overcook).

9.    Add the beef back to the wok and mix it with the sauce and veggies.

10. Serve hot.

Try this recipe and let me know how it turned out, or if you have a better one please share it with me. Remember Good food doesn't need good recipe, just the love to make it.

How to get to Leo’s? It’s easy…ask anyone…everyone knows where Leo’s is!

Fettuccini Arabiatta - Jain Style

The other day my close friend Hiren, who is a Gujarati Jain, wanted to make pasta at home for his Jain guests. Now that’s a challenge, making Italian food without garlic! Well nevertheless I gave him my take on a homemade Fettuccini with Arabiatta sauce. He even wanted the pasta to be homemade, so here goes the recipe:

Homemade Eggless Fettuccini Pasta

Ingredients:

Refined Flour (Maida)	300 gms
Olive Oil	20 ml
Semolina flour (rawa powdered into flour)	50 gms
Salt	5 gms
Water	130 ml

Method:

1.   Mix the refined flour, semolina flour and salt.

2.   Add olive oil and keep adding water till you achieve firm dough.

3.   Keep kneading the dough well to make it soft and get a smooth texture.

4.   Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

5.   Roll out the dough on a dusted surface into a thin sheet.

6.   Cut thin strips and dust some flour so that the strips don’t stick to each other.

7.   Keep the pasta strips to dry for 20 minutes.

8.   Add the pasta in boiling water with some salt, cook till al dente* and drain.

9.   Tip – boil the pasta once your sauce is ready so that once boiled, it can be transferred in to the sauce.

* Al dente refers to the desired texture of cooked pasta in Italian cooking. It literally means "to the tooth". When the pasta is cooked al dente, there should be a slight resistance in the center when the pasta is chewed.

Jain Arabiatta Sauce

Ingredients:

Olive Oil	20 ml
Tomato Puree (fresh tomatoes boiled and pureed)	500 gms
Carrots (finely chopped)	30 gms
Capsicum (finely chopped)	10 gms
Oregano	1 tsp
Chilliflakes	1 tsp
Fresh Basil leaves	4 to 5 leaves
Salt	to taste
Pepper	to taste
Black Olives	garnish
Parmesan Cheese	garnish
Boiled Veggies (Broccoli, Baby Corn, Snow peas, etc)	as desired
Stir fried Veggies (Zucchini, Bell Peppers, etc)	as desired

Method:

1.   Heat olive oil in a saucepan; add the chopped carrots and capsicum.

2.   Stir the veggies till they are half done and add the tomato puree.

3.   Keep cooking the tomato till it leaves oil.

4.   Adjust consistency with the veg stock (water used to boil vegetables).

5.   Add Oregano and Chilliflakes.

6.   Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

7.   Tear the basil leaves with your hand and mix it in the sauce.

8.   Feel the aroma of the fresh basil blending with the tomatoes. (it doesn’t get better)

9.   Add the drained homemade fettuccini and cover the pasta generously in the sauce.

10.                As desired add the boiled and sautéed veggies to enhance your pasta.

11.                Serve hot. Add sliced black olives and grated parmesan cheese to garnish.

This recipe is as authentic and as fresh it can get, however you can go nuts and make your own modifications. Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions for this recipe.

Watch out for more exotic recipes which you will be able to make at home with ease.

The important part is to enjoy whatever you cook. Remember Good food doesn't need good recipe, just the love to make it.

Intro..

I don't understand fancy writing which will pitch me against...well almost everyone who has the ability to write well. I am not looking forward to show off my skills as a writer (must have made a dozen grammatical errors by now), but simply talk about my love and passion for Food. I always had a sense of directionless travelling knowing that I know almost everything for e.g playing the guitar, painting, maths, cricket...but wasn't really good at any of it.....just knew how to do it...that's all. Finally I realised (I m not getting into how and why) Food is what I m really good at and also extremely passionate about it. I love to cook, eat, study about it, create new dishes and even more teach people how to make it. So without rambling anymore, I dedicate this space to my love and passion for Food and hope to share with you all. Watch out for recipes, facts, tips and much more. Good food doesn't need good recipe, just the love to make it. So remember Fellow Foodies..the secret ingredient is...Passion :)