Tharunya's

Indian Cuisine

Indian food presents a range of flavors, intense and subtle, as diverse as the country's culture itself. Indian cuisine, known for its variety is only a tiny portion, of what this beautiful country has to offer. Here is my small effort to present, the different flavors of Indian cooking. The following are a few easy recipes. I plan to add more soon.

Rasgulla

Milk dumplings in sugar syrup. Rasgulla (or "roshogolla" as the Bengalis prefer to call it) is a very popular East-Indian sweet dish, one of the specialities of West Bengal. It's simply great as dessert.

Ingredients

For rasgulla

1. Milk - 1 litre
2. Vinegar - 3 tbsp
3. Sugar - 1 tsp

For the syrup

1. Water - 5 cups
2. Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
3. Rose essence - few drops

Method

1. Boil milk. Add vinegar. Once the whey separates, strain and wash thoroughly. Tie it in a thin piece of cloth and squeeze till all the water's gone.
2. Add one spoon of sugar and knead well. Make this mixture into small balls and set aside.
3. Make syrup with sugar and water over low flame. To the boiling syrup, add the balls. Cover it and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Add a few drops of essence.

Notes

1. If you don't have rose essence, you can add 3-4 cardamom seeds to the syrup.

Fish Mollee

Noted for its abundance of fish, Kerala cuisine is fragrant with coconut and spices. This particular recipe is for a very delicious fish curry made with coconut milk. This one's my grandmother's.

Ingredients

For the fish

1. Fish steaks/fillets - 1 lb
2. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
3. Salt - 1 tsp

For the sauce

1. Coconut Oil - 4 tbsp
2. Red Onion - 1 medium
3. Green Chillies - 6-7 (hot - thai or serrano)
4. Ginger - 1 inch
5. Turmeric - 1 pinch
6. Curry Leaves - 2 stalks
7. Coconut Milk - 1 cup
8. Lime Juice - 2 tbsp
9. Salt - to taste

Method

1. Cut fish into 2 inch pieces. Mix salt and turmeric powder. Rub over the fish and set aside.
2. Cut onion and chilles into thin slices. Peel ginger and shred it fine.
3. Heat oil in a large wide pan over medium heat. When hot add the onion, chilies and ginger. Stir in the curry leaves. Stir-fry till the onion is tender.
4. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and 3/4 cup of water. Mix well and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and add fish pieces gently. Spoon the sauce gently over the fish.
6. Add salt. Cover and simmer for a few minutes, shaking the pan gently to prevent fish from sticking to the pan.
7. Add coconut milk, stir it in very slowly or shake the pan gently for it to blend into the sauce. Cover and simmer for three to four minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
8. Add lime juice. Remove from heat. Serve with rice.

Notes

1. Traditionally made with seer fish/kingfish steaks - it works well enough with cod steaks or haddock fillets.
2. Instead of stirring the sauce, shake the pan gently to avoid breaking the fish pieces.
3. Coconut oil could be substituted with any vegetable oil.

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