Recipe> Red Prawn Curry

Image: An ideal meal - prawn curry with steam rice

Text by: Tanya Munshi

My love for sea food knows no bounds. Just yesterday I prepared large prawns in a simple way, which was light (my favourite type) and soothing. I dislike sea food made with loads of masalas, as it tends to rid the actual taste of the meat. So here goes my simple red prawn curry.

Ingredients

• 250 gms - large prawns, de-veined and cleaned
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Water - 1-2 cups
• Salt to taste
• Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
• Clarified butter (ghee) - 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 5-8 nos.
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil (preferably), or any other cooking oil of your choice
• Coriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped

Method:

1. Shallow fry the prawns till they are slightly cooked and keep aside.

2. In the same oil, add a mixture of chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder in the oil. Stir for a few seconds and add 1 cup of water. (You can add the second cup, a few minutes later).

3. Once the mixture has blended well, you can add the rest of the water. This forms your gravy.

4. Once it comes to a boil, gently drop the prawns and cook well. Add salt and mix. Boil it to bring it to a consistency you want. If you want a thick gravy, then boil it longer.

5. Before taking off the flame, add the coconut milk and stir.

6. Give it a boil and shut off the gas.

7. Before serving, heat ghee in a tempering dish, add curry leaves, methi and mustard seeds and once they start to splatter, pour it over the prawn curry.

8. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Recipe> Egg Masala

Image: Spicy Egg Masala

Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Not that egg curry isn't good; but on a recent lunch to a friend's place, I discovered another way of preparing egg. Its tangy, spicy and dry that can compliment any gravy dish.

Ingredients:

• Eggs - 4 - 6 nos.
• Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Tomato - 1 no. finely chopped
• Onion - 1 no. finely chopped
• Black pepper corns - 4-5 nos.
• Curry leaves - 8 - 10 nos.
• Green chilies - 2-3 nos. slit
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder -1 tps
• Salt to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Boil the eggs and remove the shell and keep aside.

2. Heat oil, add curry leaves and green chilies and saute for a few minutes.

3. Add the onions and brown them and then add the ginger - garlic paste.

4. Now add the tomatoes and cook well. Add all the masalas now.

5. Slit the eggs and add them to this mixture and cook well, till they brown.

6. Sprinkle garam masala powder and mix well before serving hot with rice and daal.

Recipe> Aloo Gobi (Bengali style)

Image: Florets

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Indian cuisine can become oily with an extra dose of masalas that is not always welcoming. I personally like my food which is low on oil, masalas and light on the stomach. Being a Bengali, my personal favourites are masoor daal with kalonji and garlic tadka, steam rice, aloo bhaja and of course, kalo jeerey diye macher jhol. (If you'd like, I'll post the recipes one at a time).

Since the last few days, we've been attending quite a few parties and I am craving for my light, low oil and non-greasy meals. So today I prepared 'aloo phul kophir chechki'. My personal favourite. This can be had with rotis, puris, paranthas or as an accompaniment with rice and daal.

This is my favourite because of the low oil and the less masala factors. Here's the simple recipe:

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 250 gms
• Potato - 1 large
• Green Chilies - 2 nos.
• Kalonji (Onion seeds) - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a kadhai and add the kalonji and allow it to splatter for a minute.

2. Drop the potatoes that have been cubed into small size and washed well.

3. Once the potatoes have browned, add the cauliflower that has been cut into small florets and the green chilies slit.

4. Add salt to taste and keep cooking with a lid and stirring occasionally to check that it does not stick at the bottom.

5. Check whether the potato and the cauliflower are cooked well. They should have browned and turned a bit crispy. Serve hot.

Recipe> Sausage Omlette

Image: Happy Omlette

Text by: Tanya Munshi

How to make a simple breakfast yummy? Its simple; just use your imagination as if the kitchen were your art studio and the food is your paint and colour and the cooking range your palate. I like the way I draw an analogy with food and painting, both are very relaxing for me.

Today I tried something different with egg and sausages, here goes the simple recipe. It's so simple, that you may wonder, 'Why didn't I think of this before?'! Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

• Eggs - 2nos.
• Sausage - 1 no.
• Chilli flakes - a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Garlic flakes - 2 nos. grated

Method:

1. Beat the eggs, with salt, black pepper, chili flakes, grated garlic.

2. Chop the sausage finely and add it to the beaten egg.

3. Heat oil and pour the mixture and cook till done on both sides.

4. Serve hot with toast and tea.

Recipe> Indian Style Stir Fry Beans

Image: Green beans

Text by: Tanya Munshi

For non-vegetarians, any form of veggie is very boring. I am not generalizing this view, as I myself love vegetarian dishes, in spite of being a non-vegetarian. But I am talking about those who particularly don't like the greens and call it 'ghaas-phoos' and make faces when they see them on the dining table.

One way to combat this attitude is how vegetables are made and presented. Recently, I cooked up beans in the most chat-pata way that everyone seemed to like. Try this at home, I am sure your kids will like it too.

Ingredients:

• Beans - 250gm to 500gms
• Curry leaves - 5 - 10 nos.
• Green Chillies - 1- 2 nos.
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hing - a pinch

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai and add the curry leaves, cumin, mustard and hing.

2. Once they begin to splatter in the hot oil, add the beans cut into one inch pieces.

3. Saute for a few minutes, then add the salt and coriander powder and the green chillies. (Don't slit the green chillies, if kids are going to have it. You can remove the chillies before serving them.)

4. Cover with a lid and keep checking for doneness and keep stirring.

5. The beans should get a slightly brownish-dark texture (somewhat like a roasted texture).

6. Serve hot with daal and rotis.

Do let me know your views if you have tried one of my recipes. Thanks!

Recipe> Chilled Spicy Cucumber

Image: Chilled Cucumber

Text by: Tanya Munshi

This is an incredibly simple and easy snack to make. Its healthy and tasty. Rare combination I know, but do try it out. Goes well with drinks.

Ingredients

• Cucumbers - 2-4 nos
• Salt - to taste
• Tabasco Sauce - 1 - 2tsp
• Lemon juice - 1/2 a lemon
• Vinegar - 1-2 tsp
• Chat Masala - 1 tsp
• Chili flakes - to taste
• Crushed Garlic - 2-3 nos
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Method

1. Crush the garlic in the vinegar and keep aside.

2. Don't peel the cucumber, the skin adds a crunchy texture to it. Wash it, clean it well and cut into thin strips.

3. Add all the above ingredients including the crushed garlic in vinegar. Toss them in a large salad bowl.

4. Serve chilled.

Recipe> Indian Style Hot Dog

Image: Mutton Roll

Text by: Tanya Munshi

For a snack like this, naming it was slightly difficult for me. I didn't exactly wanted to call it 'hot dog', but then let the name remain till I think of something really good. This snack is filling and I sometimes serve it for breakfast as thats the most important meal of the day. In fact, this snack comes very handy for picnics or when you're on a long drive and don't have time to eat if you start early morning.

You can get Al Kabeer's Mutton Hot dogs (skinless), its quite delicious, I like the mutton texture that it has. This snack strongly resembles the famous chicken and egg rolls from Calcutta. Since this is one of my favourite snacks, I tried my own variation, yet again. So here goes -

Ingredients:

• Parathas/ Chapattis/ Rotis - 1 - 2 nos.
• Mutton Hot Dogs - 1-2 nos
• Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp
• Egg - 1 - 2 nos.
• Garlic - 1 flake
• Ginger - Less than half an inch
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add ground pepper, salt and grate the ginger and garlic.

2. Make an omlette with it, and keep aside.

3. Heat the parantha/ chapatti/ roti on a non-stick pan with a little oil on both sides and keep aside.

4. Cut the hot dogs from the middle in two halves and saute them in the non-stick pan till brown.

5. Now smear the Mayonnaise well on the chapattis and place the omlette on top. Place the hot dogs on that and roll it up.

6. Wrap it in an absorbent paper and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Recipe> Mackerel Fry

Image: Nothing like a simple mackerel fish fry

Text by: Tanya Munshi

This is my all time favourite fish accompaniment - low on oil and very easy to make. This fish fry is a hit on winter nights, when you enjoy a simple meal of steamed rice or roti with daal at dinner time.

Ingredients:

• Mackerel - whole pieces, cleaned and slits made on them
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon/ Vinegar - 1 lemon juice/ 1 cap full
• Chili Powder - 1tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1-2 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2tsp

Method:

1. Rub all the ingredients on the fish and leave aside to marinate. Remember, longer the better.

2. Just before dinner, heat oil in a non-stick pan or a tava and add the fish one by one.

3. Fry till golden brown and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti and daal.

Recipe> Chicken Legs in Tandoori Masala

Image: Delicious home-made chicken legs in tandoori masala

Text by: Tanya Munshi

On my recent visit to Dubai, I had picked up Rajah Tandoori Masala (Spice Mix) to add to my spice collection. But obvious, I didn't want to make the typical dhaba style tandoori chicken, it won't be possible to get the authentic taste, so I decided to try my own recipe with it.

Ingredients:

• Chicken legs - 4-6 nos.
• Onions - 1 small, finely sliced
• Garlic - 5-6 nos, crushed and finely chopped
• Salt - to taste (add little, as the tandoori masala has salt in it)
• Vinegar - 1 cap full or
• Lemon - 1 whole
• Black pepper - 1 tsp, freshly ground
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken legs for over an hour with salt, tandoori masala and lemon juice/ vinegar

2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the crushed garlic, black pepper and onions. Saute till brown.

3. Now add the chicken legs and the juice. Mix well and cover with lid.

4. Occasionally increase the flame and check to see it doesn't burn. The moment it begins to stick on the vessel, lower the flame and pour a cup of water.

5. Reduce the water to a thick consistency and check whether the chicken has been cooked.

6. Add the coriander leaves, cover and cook for a few minutes more and serve hot with roti or steamed rice and daal.

Recipe> Beetroot & Carrot Cutlets

Image: Grated beetroot and carrots

Text by: Tanya Munshi

I wanted to make a quick and a hearty snack, and I chanced upon a few beetroot and carrots in my vegetable tray and I couldn't resist cooking up this yummy snack.

Ingredients

• Beetroot - 2 medium size
• Carrots - 2 medium size
• Peeled and boiled potatoes - 4-5 nos. medium size
• Green chillies - 1-2 finely chopped
• Ginger - 1-2 inch piece, grated
• Salt to taste
• Hing to taste
• Dry Mango Powder (amchur powder) - to taste
• Cornflour - 1-2 tsp for binding (optional)

Method

1. Mash the boiled potatoes on a large plate, on that add grated beetroot and carrots.

2. Add all the ingredients and mix well.

3. Make round balls and flatten them to make cutlets.

4. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and shallow fry them till brown.

5. Drain excess oil on absorbent paper.

6. Serve hot with coriander and mint sauce.