Crispy fish colo - colo / Whole fish fry

I was in the library one day, so bored (obviously!) and randomly flipping pages of a novel which was only helping me get even more bored. So I thought I could exchange it for some DIY project book or something that would lift my spirits for the moment. My eyes were scanning through the racks when a big bright orange book caught my eye. It had the word "Asia" on it. Curious to know what it was about, I immediately pounced upon it. And tada... It was a book on the various Asian cuisines with mouth watering pictures of them! It took me about half an hour to flip through the whole book and when I was about to close, the last recipe definitely was the first thing I planned to try once I got back home. It was a simple fish fry recipe but with a Lao twist. Yes! It was a dish from Laos, a landlocked country in the Southeast Asia. So, over to Laos in the Indian way! ;)

Ingredients:
Whole fish (cleaned) - 1 (Anything that you like and that which fits your pan)
Red chilly - 3-4
Green chilly - 3-4
Ginger - 1/2-1 inch piece
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Fish sauce (optional) - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - For frying
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - For garnishing

Method:

1. Slash the fish with a knife making 3-4 cuts on both the sides.
2. Mix red chilli powder, lime juice, fish sauce and salt and rub over the entire fish.
3. Blend the chillies, ginger and garlic in a processor and marinate the fish in that for about an hour. Make sure to rub the paste inside the slashed parts as well.
4. Heat oil in a wok and fry the marinated fish on both sides till it is completely cooked.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Slashed!

Chilli burst

Crispy fish colo - colo

Butter Chicken Masala / Murgh Makhani

The other day I had extra chicken after making chicken fried rice, so the next thing that popped on my mind was butter chicken masala. Known for it's North Indian flavor, butter chicken doesn't necessarily have to accompany naan/roti/chapati. It goes best with rice too. Here it goes:

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken (cut into small pieces) - 1/4 kg
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

For marinating the chicken:
Thick curd - 2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Tandoori color (optional) - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

For the gravy:
Tomato (pureed) - 3-4
Cashew nut (boiled with water, drained and blended into a paste) - 10 
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Green chilly (finely chopped) - 1
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek leaves (hand crushed) - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Milk (at room temperature) - 1/2 cup
Cream - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Buter - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Mix chicken with the ingredients listed under 'For marinating the chicken' and leave aside for 2-3 hours.
2. Heat butter in a pan and add garlic paste. Saute for half a minute.
3. Add chilly, cumin powder, red chilli powder and mix well.
4. Add tomato puree and salt and saute well till the raw smell of the tomato goes.
5. Lower the flame. Add cashew nut paste, tomato ketchup, sugar and water and give it a good stir.
6. Meanwhile, heat oil in another pan and shallow cook the marinated chicken pieces. Drain and keep aside.
7. Now add the chicken pieces to the gravy once the gravy comes to boil. Cook for a minute.
8. Add milk and stir well for another minute before adding the cream and mix well.
9. Throw in the garam masala and fenugreek leaves and give a final stir.
10. Garnish with cream or fenugreek leaves or finely chopped coriander or even more cream! Your choice!☺

Chicken fried rice

The mention of chicken fried rice makes my mouth water! This is a recipe I'll hog on anytime of the day. And my whole family knows what I'll order every time we eat out. Yes! Chicken and fried rice together = Total bliss!

Ingredients:

For the rice:
Basmati rice - 3 cups
Carrot, beans, cabbage (finely chopped into thin strips) - 2 cups
Capsicum, spring onions (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup each
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Ajinomoto - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

For the chicken:
Boneless chicken - 1/4 kg
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

For the rice:

1. Clean and soak rice for about 15 minutes.
2. Cook rice (either in a pressure cooker or in a non stick tawa) with 4 cups of water.
3. Once the rice is cooked, spread it on a plate with the help of a fork so that the grains do not stick to each other.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and add cumin seeds.
5. When it splutters, add chopped spring onions (white part alone) and saute well.
6. Add the remaining vegetables and saute till they are half cooked.
7. Add ajinomoto, soya sauce and salt and saute well.
8. Slowly add the cooked rice and mix well. Add pepper powder and sprinkle spring onion greens over this.

For the chicken:

1. Pressure cook the chicken along with turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt.
2. Once it's cooked, cut the chicken into small strips using a knife or forks.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add chilli powder to it. Add in the chicken pieces and saute well.
4. Add garam masala and mix till the chicken is coated well with the spices.
5. Remove from heat and add the chicken pieces to the rice and mix well.

Relish with Butter chicken masala! 

Crab fry

Okay! So here goes my first non-veg recipe. One of my favorite too. Who doesn't love seafood, or crab to be more specific? Here's a very simple recipe that will keep you wanting for more!

Ingredients:

Crab - 2
Onion (finely chopped) - 2
Tomato (finely chopped) - 2-3
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - For garnishing
Coriander leaves - For garnishing
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil water (1 to 2 cups) in a vessel with salt and turmeric powder.
2. Add crab to this and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain water and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Saute till they turn golden brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute.
5. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and water from step-1. Fry till oil separates.
6. Add the crab and cook till the spices get mixed well with the crab.
7. Garnish with coriander and curry leaves.