Liver Fry

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” -George Bernard Shaw. I agree.

Conventional dietary wisdom holds that the micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and trace elements) we need from foods are most highly concentrated in fruits and vegetables. While it’s true that fresh fruits and veggies are full of vitamins and minerals, their micronutrient content pales in comparison to what is found in meats and organ meats – especially liver.

It is not uncommon to find people disliking liver, but after knowing about the nutrition facts of liver, you may have no option than to include it in your diet, just so you can reap the health benefits.

Liver is full with essential nutrients and is  a good source of protein, various vitamins and minerals. Protein from the liver strengthens your muscles and offers you strong nails, shiny hair and supple skin.

Am not too fond of liver but hubby is;  so when he came home with a big smile and carrying a big chunk of “Liver”,  I knew that it was high-time  to dish out a special of his “ Liver Fry”.  You can make it as spicy as you like by increasing/decreasing the chillies.

This is another special from the cook-book of Roseline;  so there you go.

Recipe :

Liver – 750 grams

15 dry red chillies

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon turmeric

30 pepper corns

4 large onions (sliced)

6-7 garlic cloves (sliced fine)

3 green chilles (slit)

Bay leaf – 1 or 2

Cinnamon -  2”

Vinegar – 1 tablespoon

Sugar -1/2 teaspoon

Potatoes – 2or 3  -cubed

For garnish – coriander leaves and green chillies chopped fine.

Oil or Ghee

Grind fine 15 dry chillies, turmeric, cumin seeds and pepper corns to a fine paste and keep aside.

Cut liver into large chunks, wash thoroughly and boil for 10-15 minutes with 2 bay leaves and 2” cinnamon and a little water.  When done cut into square cubes and keep aside.  Dont discard the water in which it was boiled.

In a non-stick vessel,  add ghee or oil and fry the onions till brown  flecs appear.  Then add the ground masala and fry well till the oil brims to the surface.  Add the cubed liver,  sliced green chillies,  sliced garlic, vinegar, salt and ½ tea spoon of sugar and enough water + water in which the liver was boiled (discard the bay leaf and the cinnamon)  and let it simmer in the gravy for 15-20 minutes.  Then add the cubed potatoes and let it simmer till the potatoes are done.

The gravy should be very thick and not runny by the time the potatoes are done.

When serving garnish with finely cut coriander leaves and green chillies.

Serve piping hot with Chappatis.    Goes well as a side dish for Peas Pulav as well.

Spicy Squares

Its nearly Christmas time folks; cant be true I mumble softly, I pinch myself….and its true; Christmas is nearly at our door step.   This year has indeed rushed by.   For those who have been regularly following my blog,  I owe you an apology,  an apology for not being as regular with posts as I would like to be.   Was busy with family meetings,  personal issues and things which kept me away; kept my mind occupied and kept me away from our blog.   I will try and be more regular from now one.  I want to thank all those who sent me messages asking if I was still around and those who prodded me to come out of my shell and go on.

Christmas is the time to share love & joy.  A time to recollect beautiful memories. It is a time to sit back & relax.  May the Christmas season, fill ur home with joy your heart with love & your life with laughter.

I was in a fix,  wondering what to post for our readers;  the traditional Christmas Sweets were already on the blog and I did not want to repeat them again.  Finally I came up with the idea of putting up a mix of  sweets and savories which are firstly not already on our blog,  and secondly which can be made not only for Christmas time but throughout the year………….so here I am….with the first Christmas post………….. “Spicy Squares”

These make just enough for two-three people,  so you could double the batch if you want a whole lot :

1 Cup Maida/flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Ajwain / carraway seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1-1/2 tablespoons hot oil or hot melted butter
Water
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Sift the flour in a large bowl and add turmeric, chilly powder, salt, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds and 1 tablespoon of hot oil/butter.  Mix with a spoon immediately till well mixed.  Using your fingers gently rub the flour till all small lumps formed are squashed.  Add enough water with a spoon and knead well to a soft rollable dough.   Cover with cling wrap and keep aside for 1-1-1/2 hour for the flavours to mix.

Divide into 6-7 balls and roll each into a circle of 8-9″.  Cut with a zig-zag cutter or with a pizza cutter.   Spread the squares on a flat surface ensuring that they do not overlap.

Head oil in a deep pan and deep fry till crisp.  Remove on a paper towel.  When cool you can sprinkle with a mixture of chilly powder and powdered sugar (Optional).   Store in an airtight container.

You are sure going to love the crunchy sound they make when you pop them in your mouth .

Fish Jeere-Meere

This is another dish from Roseline’s Kitchen.  Enjoy.

Jeere (is cumin seeds/Jeera)  and Meere (is black pepper corns/kali mirch)…… .

Cut fish, apply salt and turmeric and keep aside for some time.   Wash the fish again to remove the salt and turmeric and keep aside till needed.  Grind fine 8-10 dry red chillies, 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 3-4 flakes of garlic, 8-10 pepper corns, 3 big onions and a marble sized ball of tamarind.  

Season 1/2 onion in ghee and when the onion gets brown flecs,  add the masala and fry well till the ghee brims to the surface.  Add enough water to make a thickish curry; (not too watery but the curry should coat the spoon when mixing).    Add salt to taste and let the curry come to a rolling boil.  Add the fish and boil for approx. 5 minutes.  Do not stir after fish is added.

Serve with boiled rice and a vegetable side-dish.

Kerala Beef Fry

This Beef-dish is one that can be served as a starter or also as a main dish.   The spices and the coconut oil give this its unique Kerala flavour.    Please do try it out.

Beef – 1/2 kg -sliced into small cubes
Onion – 1 big, sliced finely
Kerala pearl onions – 3/4 cup, sliced
Chili powder – 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Ginger & garlic – 1 tbsp, crushed & cut fine
Vinegar – 2 tsp
Aniseeds/fennel/Shah-jeera –1 tsp
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 4-5
Star anis – 2
Garam Masala powder 1 tsp
Bite size coconut pieces  – 1/2 cup
2-3 tomatoes
Coconut oil
Salt
Curry leaves

Powder the Shah-jeera, cinnamon, cloves and star anise and keep aside. Combine the powdered spices above with kerala onions,  chillie,  coriander , turmeric, ginger, garlic, vinegar ,  coconut pieces, salt, curry leaves & beef.  Make sure that beef is marinated well with the spices. Pressure cook the marinated beef till it is done.  Just add a little  water while pressure- cooking,  and if there is any water left  after pressure cooking,  just simmer with lid open till the water is dried-up

Heat oil in a pan and saute the sliced onion till it becomes golden brown. Add chopped tomato and fry till the tomatoes become into a paste. Add the cooked beef & some more curry leaves.  Add garam masala at this stage. Mix well. Stir-fry  over a low flame,  till it is roasted well and it is dryish.  Add a few coconut pieces just before serving.

Curds/Coconut Curry + Bittergourd Side-Dish

I love simple meals, and this is one of them. Hot rice, a sour and spicy Curd/Coconut curry, a spicy vegetable, some pickle and pappadam; makes me happy, any day, any time. You will also catch me slurping on a large bowl of this brew; not necessarily at lunch time .
Care to try ? Am sure you will ….again and again.
Curd/Coconut Curry:
2 Cups curds
1 Cup desiccated coconut
1 Cup (approx) water
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2-3 green chilies
Small bunch of coriander leaves
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Methi seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Red chillies 2 – roughly broken
Ginger -1″ crushed in a pestle
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee

Grind very fine -the coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and coriander leaves. {I separately put the desiccated coconut in a dry grinder and powder it very fine, then add the remaining ingredients- this gives best results}. I used 2 green chillies – you can add more if you like it more spicy; my family likes it mild. Keep aside till required.

In a pan, add little oil/ghee and put the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add methi, crushed ginger, red chillies and curry leaves. Then add the coconut/chilly paste and saute for sometime. Add curds a tablespoon at a time and mix till fully incorporated. It is important to stir immediately when adding the curds; or it may separate and curdle. Add salt to taste and enough water to make a thick curry and keep on fire till it comes to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve steaming hot.

Bitter-Gourd Side Dish
1 Kg Bittergourd (Cut into halves-remove pith and slice fine).
1.5 teaspoon/or more chilly powder or bafat powder
1.5 cups thick curds.

Wash the bittergourd. Add salt and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Then wash away the salt and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add chilly/bafat powder, curds and salt to taste (careful with the salt- as you just added salt and washed it out). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
In a non-stick pan, put 3-4 tablespoons of oil and add the bittergourd mixture. Keep on a very slow fire. Keep stirring every 5 minutes or so and scrape off any that may be stuck to the pan. It will take about 1 hour for it to cook and be nice and crisp. When it is brown and crispy add 1 tablespoon sugar..and let it caramalise. Keep stirring till you can see oil separate from the mixture. Put the fire off…. keep the vessel in a tilted position..so that all the excess oil drains out. Transfer to another dish…(so that you dont have too much oil). Serve hot.

Cauliflower Roasted

A member of the cabbage family which is composed of bunches of tiny florets on clusters of stalks,  Cauliflower may be white, green or purple. The entire floret portion (the “curd”) is edible. The green leaves at the base are also edible,  but take longer to cook and have a stronger flavor.

Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and fiber. It is a very good source of vitamin B5, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, and manganese. Additionally, it is a good source of potassium, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and magnesium.

Phew,   is that  enough…go buy some  Cauliflower  NOW;   and attempt this   easy -peasy recipe ….

1  Cauliflower cut into florets,  4 tablespoons  olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt,  1  teaspoon red chillie flakes, a pot of hot water.

Cut and wash the florets into  medium  pieces and soak (not boil) them in a big pot of  boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander.  In  a baking tray, lay the cauliflower in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake till slightly golden  (say 25 minutes in a 180 deg C oven)  Sprinkle with chillie flakes mid-way during baking   and serve steaming hot.

Mango Curry

When I was in Mumbai recently,  I reeled from shock on hearing that a dozen Alphonso mangoes cost Rs.1000/-; and they were not all that great looking.   In UAE,  we are still awaiting the Pakistani Mangoes,  which are sweet and lovely to relish. My son is waiting for them coz he loves to have his ‘Mango Porcurpine’.

When we were kids,  during summer holidays, our house used to be bustling with cousins from Pune and we used to love slurping on these sweet, sour, spicy Mango Curry;  which Mom made specially for us.  It was a good change from the fish and meat dishes that were always on the menu.    

You need small plump and chewy mangoes for this curry.  {I’ve seen plenty of those in Mumbai as well as in UAE}.  Take 8 small ripe mangoes, wash and remove the peel and keep aside in a plate.   Grind together 12 red chilles, 1 teaspoon cummin seeds, 2 tablespoons corriander, 8 pepper corns,  1/2 tsp turmeric,  1 small onion, very little quantity of tamarind.  If the mangoes are sour- you can omit the tamarind.  Grind to a very fine paste and add water to make a runny curry.   Boil the mangoes in this curry for 20-25 minutes – adding salt to taste.  When the mangoes are done and look nice and slushy,  take  6-8 spoons of oil/ghee in a saucepan and when hot add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and when it flutters add 5-6 mashed garlic and a bunch of curry leaves.   When it is brown pour this in the curry and immediately close the lid and cook for just under 2 minutes.

Enjoy !!!!!.  Throw out your fork and spoon,  you need your fingers/hands to relish this one.   Have this with jasmine rice or with hot chappaties.