July Recipe

I recycled my Chicken Curry post (the original recipe ...for the Indian Mother's Soul).  I have to admit here that the photo does not correspond to the recipe. I had photos of the real dish but those were on my parents' camera and I had a deadline to meet.  Check out the July link below.

http://www.citymasala.com/July2010/ChickenCurryRecipe.pdf

Maachli for the Indian Mother’s Soul

Check out CityMasala.com for the May 2010 magazine issue with my Maachli recipe.

Fish, or maachali in Hindi, has long been considered “brain food.” What desi doesn’t want to be smart?? Fish is low in fat, high in protein, and full of omega 3 fatty acids that help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol. Fish is popular in many Indian cuisines, especially in Goa, Assam, Kerala and Bengal. My family mostly ate chicken when I was growing up, but in the last couple of years I have witnessed the health benefits of what even some vegetarians call the “fruit of the sea.” During our pre-wedding diet, my husband and I abstained from meat and ate only fish and veggies. Not only did we trim down in time for the wedding, but we also had increased energy, both physical and mental. When I was pregnant, I once again embraced the benefits of fish and omega 3 for proper development of my baby’s brain and nerves. Fish has become a mainstay in my family’s diet.

This recipe version is for the mild tasting haddock, but good substitutes are cod, tilapia, flounder, or catfish. These are all low-mercury fish. Gujaratis often top fried fish with a tomato sauce, so I’ve included the preparation for a simple sauce. Serve the dish hot over basmati or brown rice and eat with fresh steamed vegetables of your choosing for a filling meal.

Ingredients

For Fried Fish:

• 1 1/2 lb haddock fish fillets
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
  
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• vegetable oil for frying

For Tomato Sauce:

• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 cup tomato puree (or use a 14 oz can)
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
  
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Preparation

1. Wash the fish fillets in cold water and dry on paper towel.
2. Combine the garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Brush the spice mix onto both sides of each fillet and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the flavors to penetrate.
   
4. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a medium frying pan.
5. Fry the fish fillets, about 5 minutes on each side, and set aside.
6. Heat some more oil in a pan.
7. When hot, add mustard seeds.
8. When seeds crackle, add onions and saute for 1-2 minutes.
9. Pour in the tomato puree and cook for three minutes.
10. Add ginger, garam masala, salt and pepper according to taste.  Turn off heat.
11. Pour the sauce over the fish.  Garnish with chopped coriander.

Published! (in Apr '10)

My monthly gig is in full swing and my Upma recipe was published this month.  This one again comes from a past blog.  I wrote more in the story and description this time; thus, my 'recipe corner' warranted a full page in the magazine.  ha!  Beginning next month, I'll be submitting new recipes.

Upma for the Indian Mother's Soul

A popular breakfast dish all over India, Upma flaunts its versatility by also serving as a hearty snack, savory side dish, quick lunch, or light dinner.  I love breakfast that can be eaten for dinner!  Originally from South India (my son is half Telugu), this dish, pronounced "oohp-maa," varies across the regions on vegetables and flavors.  My mom did not prepare Upma when I was young, perhaps because we were such carnivores in our house.  My mom started cooking it in the last few years, though.  My sister-in-law's all-vegetarian family makes it regularly and so do my Southie in-laws.  Now, it's a staple in our household because of the straightforward recipe and healthy ingredients.  Much like Sheero, Upma has become a comfort food that reminds me of when my mom was helping me after my son was born.   It has become another cherished family recipe.

My version of Upma is a lunch dish that is soft, fluffy, and rich and made of roasted rava mixed with onions, vegetables, spices, and cashews.  Choose vegetables according to your taste.  In my lazy mommy version, I add the frozen mixed vegetable packages found in the grocery store to simplify the cleaning/cutting/dicing step.  In contrast, my husband's family eats it plain and with a smoother, more liquid consistency.

Upma Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Rava or Sooji from the Indian store --substitute cream of wheat from supermarket
• 3 tbsp cooking oil, i.e. canola oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 - 3 cup hot water (pre-heated in microwave)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 or 2 medium onions, chopped
• vegetable mix - peas, carrots, green beans, corn 
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 3/4 medium chopped green chilies
• 1/2 tsp crushed ginger paste
  
• 1-2 tbsp yogurt (optional)
• salt to taste
  
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews (for protein)
• fresh chopped cilantro or coriander to garnish
• lemon juice to taste

Preparation :

1. Heat  oil and butter in a pan over medium flame. 
2. When oil is slightly hot, add cumin and mustard seeds.  Add onions when the seeds begin to pop and fry until onions become translucent and soft.
3. Lightly roast rava about 10-15 minutes until it just begins to turn pink.  Stir constantly to prevent lumps.
4. Stir in hot water and salt.  Then, add mixed vegetables that have already been cooked for 5 minutes in the microwave.  Bring to boil.
5. Add turmeric powder, ginger paste, and green chillies.
6. Stir in yogurt according to your taste.
7. The upma is done when all the water is absorbed by the rava.
8. Garnish with cashews, chopped cilantro leaves, and lemon juice.  Turn off stove and close lid.
9. Serve hot.

Chaa for the Indian Mother's Soul

I prefer tea to coffee, more specifically Indian masala tea called chaa.  It's a cultural thing.  As India is a former British colony, a hot cup of tea is important to the Indian way of life.  Families in India drink it twice a day - in the morning and at afternoon tea time.  When guests arrive, they are offered tea as soon as they walk through the front door and it is not uncommon for young children to drink tea.  It's odd to do a post on tea and it's difficult to explain, but chaa has been a substantial part of my life.  My mom taught me how to make it when I was young and I would make it whenever guests visited.   Although I've gone through many caffeine eschewing phases during my life, it comes to my mind again because when my mom stayed with us after my son was born, I got back into the tea drinking habit.   Now, it's become one of my morning rituals to put on a pot of tea while I sleepily play with my son. 

Though recipes and styles vary from family to family, making a good Indian masala tea is not difficult at all.  The predominant tastes in the tea are cardamom, a staple in Indian cooking, and ginger.  A popular Indian tea brand is Red Label although I prefer Tetley (my family is British influenced in many ways).  Tea masala (a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and nutmeg) is found in Indian grocery stores.  If you're more industrious than I am and want a truer Indian experience, substitute the tea masala with the core ingredients of fresh  ginger, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom powder.  Also, use a strong loose-leaf black tea such as Assam rather than tea bags for a fuller flavor.

Chaa Recipe

Ingredients :

• Tea masala
• Tetley tea bags -British Blend (my personal choice)
  
• Sugar

Preparation (makes 2 cups of tea):

1. Pour 1 cup water into a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil.
2. When boiling, add 2 tea bags, 1/4 teaspoon tea masala, and 2-3 teaspoons sugar.
   
3. After about 3-4 minutes, add 1 cup milk.  The liquid mix will turn pale beige in color.
4. Bring to a boil again and just as the liquid is rising to the top of the pot, switch off the heat. Pour through strainer and serve hot.

Sheero for the Indian Mother's Soul

In the state of Gujarat (the home state of my parents), Sheero is a sweet food (called prasad) that is offered to the deities and then distributed among the guests at the end of many religious ceremonies. I remember going to these ceremonies (or pujas) when I was younger and enjoying the taste of it at the end of another long, unintelligible Hindu ceremony.  It was a reward for sitting through an Indian function that I probably did not want to attend in the first place.

Sheero does not have the religious connotations for me anymore, but rather it has become my comfort food.  The tasty treat reminds me of the admirable woman that my mom is.  After my son was born, my mom came to stay with us and helped me with my son and with household chores for several months.  I would not have survived without her.  During this time, she made sheero for me every week because it is one of my favorites.  I am grateful for the family recipes and traditions that my mom has passed down to me.

Sheero is soft, fluffy, and rich and made of roasted cream of wheat mixed with milk, butter, sugar, cardamom, and almonds.  Many people add raisins and you can add fruits such as banana, grapes, apples and pineapple to give it a sweet and fruity flavor.   I love my mom's simple recipe the best, of course.  My mom has learned over the years to exclude raisins from almost everything if she expects me to eat it.  I like raisins on their own but for some reason, I don't like them mixed into my food.

Sheero Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Ravo or Sooji from the Indian store --> substitute cream of wheat from supermarket
• one stick unsalted butter --> my mom uses 1/2 cup of ghee
• 4 cups hot low-fat milk  --> my mom uses whole milk and others use water
• a little less than 1 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  
• 1 teaspoon saffron

Preparation :

1. Place non-stick pot over medium heat and melt the butter.
2. Pour one cup ravo/sooji/cream of wheat and stir continuously for about 12 minutes, or until the mixture becomes slightly pinkish-beige in color.
   
3. Add hot milk (pre-heat in microwave) and stir.  The mixture may bubble so keep your body turned away from the pot.  Stir until the milk is absorbed.
   
4. Add sugar and keep stirring.  Do not let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot.
   
5. By now, the sheero will be soft and fluffy.  Add cardamom powder, chopped almonds, and saffron and stir.  
6. Turn off the stove and keep the pot covered for about 5 minutes.