Fish fry

Most of the south Indians are fond of seafood or fish.Fish fry is a very simple and tasty dish.Once upon a time(In my childhood)When i used to eat Non-veg,Fish fry was my favorite.It's one of my husband's favorite dish .For fry most of the times i will use vanjeram only.But u can use any variety.Instead of deep fry this way will give better taste.Here my recipe



Ingredients:

Fish-8 pieces
Chilli powder-1tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander powder-1/4 tsp
Pepper powder-1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 tsp
Tamarind-Little
Tomato-1(big)
Lemon juice-1/4 tsp
Salt- To taste

Preparation:

1. Make paste of above ingredients using mixture grinder.
2. Clean the fish slices apply this paste,allow it to soak for an hour.
3. Heat the Dosa pan,add 1 tsp of oil add 3-4 slices of fish,cook them in slow flame
for 4-5 min.
4. Allow it to cook until it will become crisp and brown.Add oil when ever u need.
5. Turn the other side and follow the same method.
6. Serve hot and enjoy the fish fry.

Asparagus-Mushroom Bread Pudding

Many Chicagoans struggle this time of the year. We generally know what to expect during the winter months - snow covered streets and grey skies that seem to linger forever. But temperature dips in April and May leave us wondering if spring will ever arrive. A visit to Green City Market - where stacks of asparagus and layers of green garlic have appeared - proves there's no need to worry. Mother Nature has moved on. The market's cornucopia also includes an array of locally grown mushrooms and herbs including dill, sage, and cilantro, thanks to hoophouses.

When I headed to Green City's grand opening, I knew I had to have a recipe in hand or I'd buy more produce than I needed (as if overloading my fridge could hasten spring's arrival). I settled on a cozy asparagus-mushroom bread pudding. A serving of this rustic dish - with asparagus buried in cushions of custard and mushrooms nestled under crusty bread - helped me tide the chilly weather that had Windy City residents bundled up...in May.

TIP: Asparagus spears have woody ends that many cooks snap off and discard. However, you can peel away the strawy outside layer. The flesh beneath it is tender and delicious.

ASPARAGUS BREAD PUDDING

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound crusty bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup green garlic, finely chopped

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

2 cups whole milk

3 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 ounce feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread loaf in two and place each half on a baking sheet, crust down. Cook until the surface browns.

2) Remove from oven and tear bread into 2-inch pieces.

3) Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-low. Add green garlic and saute until it becomes tender.

4) Add asparagus and mushrooms. Cook until asparagus becomes tender. Set aside.

5) Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, basil, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.

6) Coat a 9-x-13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the bread in the bottom of the dish. Cover with asparagus mixture. Cover with the remaining bread and sprinkle with feta cheese.

7) Pour in egg mixture. Cover and chill for 2 hours, or overnight.

8) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread pudding for 25 minutes or until the center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Kobri Mithayee or Tenga Burfi - Coconut Sweet

Kobri Mithayee or Tenga Burfi - Coconut Sweet

This name brings back memories of the numerous “potti kadais” (“Box shops” when literally translated, to denote their tiny size!), selling betel leaves, scented nuts, ‘goli’ sodas, tobacco, snuff, beedies and cigarettes, which dotted every corner of our ancient city not so long ago. Ripe Nanjangood Rasa Bales - a special sweet variety of bananas, were hung in bunches from the ceiling of the ‘shops’. These shops were mere wooden boxes which sat conveniently on any and every corner of the compound walls which ran along the busy city streets. A garland of newspapers and magazines were strung across the 10’ x 10’ ‘shop’. The ‘bennae’ biscuits ( butter biscuits), ‘karada kadale’ (spiced up ground nuts), kodu balae (a crispy savory dough ring), lemon peppermints, the mint candies with zebra stripes , the mini sized ‘kadlekai undaes’ (a sweet made of ground nuts and jaggery ), and the ever adorable kobri mithayees were all lined up in shiny glass jars in the front row of the shop attracting school children who passed by.

Kobri mithayee has been the favourite among school children through many generations. The school where my children studied had a ‘tuck shop’ where they sold goodies to the children during tea breaks. My children often pestered me for two rupees before going to school, just to buy their favourite ‘tuck’. I wondered what this 'tuck' was all about until finally I found out that it was nothing but our old kobri mithayee in a new caramelized form.

Mother prepared the best of kobri mithayees , which looked like snow white crystals ,soft and chewy at the same time .We hung around while the sweet was being prepared enjoying the aroma to our heart’s content. The moment they were cut, the hot sweet squares melted into our eager mouths and disappeared without a trace. Somehow, I never got the same texture when I tried to prepare kobri mithayee. A friend of mine gave me a fool proof method to prepare this sweet. Though it can never match mother’s preparation,I think I have managed to get a satisfactory mithayee.

INGREDIENTS:

Requirements are 1 coconut, 1 tumbler milk and 2 tumblers of sugar. When I measured the gratings of one moderate sized coconut it measured up to 1 .5 tumblers. The measures are given accordingly below.

Fresh grated coconut - 1 and 1/2 portions
Sugar – 2 portions
Milk – 1 portion

METHOD:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a thick vessel and place it on flame.
2. Keep stirring till the sugar starts to melt.
3. Decrease flame to low, and go about your other chores.
4. Stir the liquid mass now and then.
5. When the whole mass thickens, it will gather into a big ball while stirring.
6. Pour this into a greased plate and flatten with a spatula.
7. When it cools and solidifies cut it into squares with a sharp knife
Store in a dry air tight jar, if anything is remaining after relishing your kobri mithayee!