Schezwan Fish

We love Chinese cuisine. Everyone in my family does. Hubby, who wasn't a fan of Chinese dishes earlier now adores them. Eating nutrient rich food does not mean sacrificing on taste. We are all looking on new ideas to eating healthy, home cooked meals, without going on a diet .Sea food has amazing nutritional value that can significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity. It is protein rich, gives us strength and energy and has a good satiety factor. Off late, it has become our first choice for a value based meal. So, don’t hesitate to treat your family to the myriad sea food available and eat your way to longevity!

Boneless fish or fish fillets are so easily available in the market now without hefty price tags. They have replaced the usual fish fries that we would serve in parties as they are not as cumbersome as whole fish to eat. Besides this quality, they are soft and spongy thus making it an amazing starter for a party meal.

This Chinese type Schezwan fish is mildly flavored with a dipping sauce made at home. It is easy to prepare and can be called a meal in itself. Scrumptious and finger-licking is what I would call it.

INGREDIENTS:

200 gms boneless fish cut into finger shapes or strips or squares
1/4 cup All purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour
2 green chillis
1 tsp coriander leaves
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ajinamotto
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste


For sauce:

1 tsp ginger chopped or powdered
1 p ginger chopped or powdered
1 tsp green chilli chopped
1 tsp coriander leaves
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp tomato sauce
2 tsp soya sauce (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Marinate fish fillets in salt for 10-15 minutes.


2) Mix all the sauce ingredients together well and keep aside.


3) Prepare a batter out of batter ingredients. Use enough water if needed. The consistency of the batter should be of dipping consistency.. not too thick and nor too thin.


4)  Heat oil in a wok . Dip these fillets in the batter and deep fry them till golden brown.

5) Serve deep fried fish along with the sauce separately in a bowl.

Spicy fish curry

I am generally not someone who opts for spicy food. But sometimes I really do not mind it if it is a dish which my senses can tolerate. And then it's also getting cold here ... huh. At least now my complaints on the heat will rest for a while. The nights are pleasant and outdoors are so much fun.

To help warm up in this weather and keep things interesting, I’m looking for perfect recipes that suit the cold days, beat the winter blues and that which tickle your senses. This time of the year is perfect to nibble on hot, spicy fritters and fast foods with a perfect cup of warm tea to go with it. Don’t you agree?

This is another no fuss recipe. Your family will enjoy the balance of flavors and textures offered by this delicious, warm fish curry. Oh, and it's healthy too—total guilt free indulgence! I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did.
I used Kingfish as it is very popular here. But you can feel free to try this out with any fish of your choice.

INGREDIENTS:

400 gms Kingfish
2 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Coconut Oil (optional but it contributes heavily for that authentic flavor)
2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp each Ginger and Garlic paste
12 Shallots finely chopped
1 cup thick coconut milk
10 curry leaves

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Mix chillli, coriander and turmeric powders with the coconut oil to make a paste.

2) Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

3) Add the prepared spice paste, season with salt and saute until oil begins to appear on the surface and the sides of the pan.

4) Add a little water to dilute the sauce slightly then add the fish. Sir gently to ensure that the fish is well coated.

5) Cover and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes or until the fish is cooked thorough and the sauce thickens. 

6) Serve with rice, breads etc.

 

Hassleback Garlic Cheesy Bread

Once the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to fall, most people gravitate towards soups and stews for cozying up and I am no different.  We’ve already had made soups an integral part of our menus now and the pleasant days ahead do demand more comfort foods.  Sometimes however, when afternoons turn warm and those vibrant fall leaves glisten in the sunlight, I crave a crisp autumn salad with some cheesy bread.

Sometime last year during blog-hopping, I came across these hassle back breads that I could not resist to try them out. The garlic flavor is so wonderful and I especially love the combination of it with butter and cheese.  I’ve been eating them after sprinkling them with some oregano for a more Italian flavor.  This version has become my favorite. You can toss up a quick green salad as a side and enjoy these breads. Sometimes I convert a readymade bread or baguette also into a hassle back cheesy version only to enjoy the flavors.

I was tempted to bake last weekend but I must admit that I still have not piled my refrigerator with the basic baking ingredients after my recent Haj trip only because I thought of saving this month's comfort food budget and living economically . But this is only for a while. When the new month knocks at us, I will be my usual self and will get back to my cooking habit. But then this recipe that I am posting today is from my drafts. Because I had made it at least twice before I left for my Haj break.

So its cheese and garlic again. Perfect for the autumn days and the aroma that it creates is divine. I keep wondering why people crib over cheese and call it rich in fat. Low fat cheese is widely available in most supermarkets and is a great substitute for the recipes that call for a wide varieties of cheese in them. And Garlic is a popular flavor now loved by everyone which produces a gourmet taste when combined with butter or Cheese. Most recipes these days call for garlic in them whether they are breads or pizzas or pasta or curries.

The recipe for Hassleback Garlic Cheesy Rolls is as below:


INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp Instant yeast 

1 tsp honey

1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Olive Oil, for Greasing Surfaces
1 cup White Cheddar, Or Any Other Cheese You Prefer
½ cups Garlic Butter
 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1) In a large bowl, stir yeast, honey salt and the flour. Add warm water and mix it to form the dough. Knead well till soft but not sticky. Keep aside for the dough to rise - around 1 hour or so until doubled in size.

2) Punch down dough and knead with some more oil and then cut into two equal portions.

3) Form into two long baguettes the length of the cookie sheet. Give it some twists so that it keeps its length and doesn’t shrink. Cover with plastic wrap and rise 30 minutes.

4) Start to preheat oven to 400 degrees F and  put the bread into the oven and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

5) In the meantime, slice the cheese into thin slices and melt the butter.

6) Pull loaves of bread out of the oven after 20 minutes and brush with the melted garlic butter. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until bread begins to turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes.

7) Cut 1-inch slices 3/4′s of the way through the loaves. Brush garlic butter in between each slice and fill with a slice of cheese.

8) Bake another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Serve HOT after sprinkling some herbs on the tops.

 

Meat Lasagne

Hajj is one of Islam's five pillar's of faith and every Muslim who can afford it has been asked to visit the holy city of Mecca to perform this pilgrimage. After spending 20 days in devotion and reflection during our Haj pilgrimage, it feels wonderful to be back. 

For those of you who are curious about the happenings of the event, I could say that it was the most excellent form of worship that one could offer which has created a sense of renewal within oneself as it helps to provide diverse spiritual needs to us. In other words, it was a totally different world for us and an experience worth keeping.

The last 20 days have been no-cooking days for me. We were served ready food during our tour and also ate out occasionally. Sometimes I would remember and miss cooking. And sometimes I would feel that its great resting from cooking. Either way, we missed pastas, pizzas and so much because we never found their outlets around our vicinity. The most common things we ate were French fries and Shawarmas. We longed to eat our favorites somewhere, but finally got a chance to make and enjoy our homemade food after we returned. Pasta topped my "longing- to- eat" list. Lasagna was what I kept craving for and it was a pleasure digging in it.

If you have ever dreamed of settling in Italy, then lasagna is something that you should look forward to. It seems to be the most standardized form of pasta and when combined with all the meaty flavors decked with shredded cheese, it  produces a rich and wholesome dish which can be the most perfect example for a balanced meal.

It did not take me long to make this dish. I only had to spend time arranging the sheets and the meat in my baking dish. The rest was wonderfully carried out by my electric oven. The recipe is surely a keeper. The dish is a party classic and I promise that your guests will relish it.

INGREDIENTS:

For the meat sauce:

1/2 Kg minced beef or mutton
2 onions finely chopped
3 tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning or Oregano                                                                                              
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Rosemary
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Béchamel Sauce:

1 tbsp. chopped butter
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp All-Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp  each Oregano, basil and thyme
A generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese or any cheese you have

For the Lasagne:

10 Lasagne sheets
2 cups shredded Mozarella Cheese
1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Parsley flakes or freshly chopped Parsley 

                                                                                                                                              

HOW TO MAKE:
 
The meat sauce:
 
1) Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and fry till soft. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté.
 
2) Add the minced meat and fry it until the water in it evaporates.
 
3) Then add the tomatoes and the remaining spices and cook till it is thick. You can also add water and cook. The consistency should be a thick meaty sauce in the end.

Meat Sauce

 
The Béchamel Sauce:
 
1) Heat butter in a pan, add the all-purpose flour and sauté till light golden.
 
2)  Add milk and mix well so that no lumps are formed.
 
3) Add salt and the spices and mix well. Tip in the grated cheese.
 
4) The consistency should be thick and flowy. If not you can add more milk to maintain it that way.

 
The Lasagna:
 
1) Heat 4-5 cups water in a deep dish and bring it to boil. Add the lasagna sheets and cook them as per the package instructions.
 
2) Drain out excess water and wash them under cold water so that they do not stick to each other. Keep them aside.
 
Assembly :
 
1) In a rectangle or square oven proof dish, pour some meat sauce as a thin layer. Then place 2-3 lasagna sheets on it .
 
2) On top of the lasagna sheets, pour some béchamel sauce and again some meat sauce. Sprinkle some grated mozarella cheese on this. This way one layer is completed.
 
3) Repeat these steps for up to 3 to 4 layers. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top layer and cover with foil..

4) Bake this in a pre-heated oven (190 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes or until the cheese has got a slight golden color on top. Serve hot.