Pan Fried Kebabs and Tzatziki Dip

These Kebabs and Tzatziki Dip were truly amazing. Its Ramadan here in our part of the world and devouring these hot kebabs and watching a late night movie was sheer bliss. I pan-fried them, but you could grill them as well. The addition of raw papaya made them soft and succulent. And this Tzatziki Dip is a keeper.

Pan Fried Kebabs :

Ingredients :

Lamb Mince – 500 grams
Onion -1 (small)
Pepper – 1 teaspoon
Ginger/Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon
Green Chillies – 2/3
Raw Papaya – 1 tablespoon
Cornflour – 2 tablespoons
Lemon  1 large
Coriander/Mint leaves – handful
Salt
Egg – half
Olive Oil for frying.

Get the butcher to double mince the lamb.  Grind together onion, ginger/garlic, green chillies, raw papaya and coriander/mint leaves and add to the mince.  Add lemon juice, pepper, cornflour, salt, egg and mix.

Make equal sized balls.  Take a chop-stick and apply a little oil on it.  Press the ball on the chop-stick and make  kebabs and continue with all the balls.  Arrange in a single row on a plate and keep in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Put a little oil in a non-stick pan and shallow fry the kebabs.  Serve hot with Pita-bread and Tzatsiki Dip.

Makes about 12 small Kebabs.

Tzatziki Dip

Ingredients :

Yogurt – 1 cup
Cucumber  – 1 medium
Garlic – 2 cloves crushed and cut fine
Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons
Cream – 3 tablespoons
Mint – handful
Coriander leaves – handful
Salt to taste
Sugar ½ teaspoon

Put yogurt in a muslin cloth and allow water to drain.  Cut or grate the cucumber and toss in salt.  Mix and keep in strainer and press the cucumber down so that it releases as much liquid as possible.

Take a bowl add the yogurt and cream and beat with whisk.  Then add all other ingredients and mix well.

Lady Fish Curry

Hi folks….why this Fish is called Lady Fish is something I dont know.  Something fishy there !!  :);)  Probably because of its good looks, and long slender shape!!!!!!   For those who know why, please enlighten me  :):).  Called “Kane” in Mangalore,  this is one fish that I approve of.  If you thought that a nice Fish Curry cannot be made with desiccated coconut….. think again!!!  This is one curry which I made with desiccated coconut…so if you dont have fresh coconut in your Pantry/Store, worry not, “Bring On The Chef In You’ comes to your rescue.
Ladies, please try it, especially for all those men folk who aint lucky to have a fish named after them called ‘Man Fish’ .

Ingredients :
1 Kg. Lady Fish
8-10 red chilies or two tablespoons of red chilly powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 -1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
6-8 peppercorns
1-1/4 cup desiccated coconut
4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion (+ one for slicing and bagar)
1″ piece ginger
1 tomato -small
lemon sized tamarind
2 green chilies
Vinegar (1/2 teaspoon- optional)

Cut and wash fish, apply little salt and turmeric and keep aside. Then wash again and keep aside in a plate.

In a dry grinder, add the red chilies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander powder, turmeric and peppercorns. Grind to a fine powder and add to the wet grinder.
Put the desiccated coconut in the dry grinder and spin it till the desiccated powder is very fine. Add this to the wet grinder.
To the wet grinder also add 1/2 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, tamarind, add water and grind all to a fine paste.
Slice onion, ginger (into thin slices), slit the green chilies, and cut tomato into half. Keep this aside for later use (not to be ground).
In a deep pan, add 3-4 tablespoons of oil and add half sliced onion. Fry till it gets brown specs, then add the sliced ginger, the other half onion, green chilies and tomato and just stir of half a minute. Then add the ground masala and fry it for a minute of two. Add enough water to make a thick curry (roughly 2 cups or more). Add salt to taste and if required, add 1/2 a teaspoon of vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil and when it starts bubbling very furiously, add the washed fish and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Do not stir the fish or it will break, but hold the vessel with two kitchen cloths and shake it from side to side.

Just before serving, garnish with a few cut coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and a vegetable side-dish.

Baked Potato Wedges / Baby Spinach & Cheese Wedges

Potato Wedges  :

Potatoes – 3 large
Cornflour -3 tablespoons
Garlic Cloves – 8 – chopped very fine
Black pepper corns – crushed – few
Chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Garlic powder – ½ teaspoon
Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Olive oil -6-8 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into wedges.  Boil the wedges in a pot of boiling water for 5-6 minutes.  They should be partially cooked and not mushy.  Remove from water and keep aside.

Heat up the olive oil in a small pan and add the chopped garlic and mix till the garlic just begins to change colour.  Cool.

Add the potato wedges to the pan and all the other ingredients and mix well.

 
Preheat oven to 180 deg. C and lay the potatoes in a single layer without overlapping on a baking tray lined with foil.   Bake for about 30-40 minutes (turning over once) till the wedges are all golden brown and crispy.   Serve immediately with tomato ketchup.

Spinach and Cheese Wedges :

Dough for chappati ( I usually use roughly 2 cups wheat flour, 1 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon oil.  Put salt and oil in the water and add the flour and knead to a smooth soft dough.  It all depends on the flour so get ready to add +/- flour or water accordingly)
Cheese – I used kraft cheddar cheese – 1 small tin- grated
Baby spinach leaves – 1 bunch
Olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper

Make balls of the dough and roll to about 8” or 9” diameter.

Spread with cheese and few baby spinach leaves on one half of the disc and sprinkle little salt and black pepper.

Roll the other half over it and seal the edges.

Heat a pan/tava and smear with a little olive oil and gently put the rolled bread/chappati on it and fry on both sides, pressing gently with a fork/ladle to ensure even cooking.

Cut into wedges (the cheese will have melted by now – so keep in a plate and then cut) and serve immediately.

Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls Khichdi

The health benefits of Sabudana (sago) are mainly in the carbohydrates it provides. Sabudana is made from the starch extracted from the pith (center) of the sago palm stems. The commercial production of sago is in the shape of small globules and are called Tapioca Pearls. Sabudana is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy, and hence often served in India for breaking fasts during religious festivals. Sabudana gives you quick energy and is easy to digest and has an overall cooling effect on the system

Recipe :

1 cup Sabudana(sago)/Tapioca Pearls
½ cup peanuts
A handful of cashewnuts
½ cup Green peas
1 Potato – diced
1 tsp Sugar
2 Green Chillies chopped lengthwise
1 red chilly shredded
2 tablespoons ghee
1 onion (medium) sliced
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Pinch Hing (asafoetida)
¼ cup grated fresh Coconut
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Few Coriander leaves
Few Curry Leaves

Wash the Sabudana in water 3-4 times and soak in roughly 1 cup water. Soak overnight or at least for 8- 10 hours. Every 2-3 hours, fluff it up with a fork or chopstick. After 8 hours each grain will fluff up and be separate. Test to check if it has soaked well and if you find any hard center, sprinkle with a little water and soak some more time till  it is all soft-centered and each sabudana/pearl is well shaped. The one cup Sabudana will by now double in volume.

Take a thick-bottomed/non-stick vessel and add ghee. Fry the Cashew nuts and peanuts and remove and keep aside. In the same pan add mustard seeds, red chilly and cumin seeds. When it splutters, add hing, green chillies, curry leaves and onion. Keep stirring till onion is wilted and gets a light brown tinge. Then add potatoes, sprinkle a few drops of water and cook till the potatoes are nearly done. Then add green peas, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and cook for a few minutes. Add the Sabudana and keep frying till it is well coated and the Sabudana Pearls turn translucent. This may take about 5 -8 minutes. Lastly add the fried peanuts, cashewnuts, grated coconut, lemon juice and coriander leaves and a few more curry leaves. Serve hot. Serves 4-5 persons.

Wedding Anniversary Cake

Dearest Natasha and Denver,

Congratulations on your 1st year of togetherness.  Hope you two have a special day filled with love and happiness.  May your love for each other continue your whole life through.

Happy Anniversary.

Love and hugs,

Devon, Darren,  Dad & Mom

P.S:

Made this cake specially for you both.