Thursday, June 20, 2013

Beetroot Halwa

We have four beautiful nieces (Shakthi, Angel, Nissi and Mathangi) in our family. Though living miles apart these girls are always in my heart. I am happy to introduce them all to my blogger friends. This week Shakthi is celebrating her birthday and I am dedicating this dessert for her. Happy Birthday Shakthi (Darshi pappa) !.

Beetroot is one of the beautiful creations of God and I love buying it and eating it anytime and any form :) Beetroot halwa recipe is almost similar to carrot halwa, but needs lesser milk (my version). I like the rich color of beets and the deep flavor of this halwa.  My mom used to make this sometimes and we would eat it as a dessert or a spread on bread. Try this and enjoy!


 Happy birthday Darshi pappa!
Ingredients:
Beetroot - 3 (300 gm)
sugar - 3/4 cup
condensed milk - 2 tbsp + 3/4 cup water
(or milk - 1 1/2 cup)
ghee - 3 tsp
cashew - 10
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
rose essence - 1 drop

Method:
Peel the beetroot and shred it (coarse side of shredder is enough).
Take a thick bottom pan. Fry the cashew in ghee and take out.
In the remaining ghee add the shredded beetroot, fry till raw smell reduces (2 minutes).
Add the water (or milk) and cook covered in low heat.
As soon as the beetroot is cooked completely, add sugar, condensed milk and stir continuously in high heat (10 minute). Stir till the halwa comes out of the edges without sticking.
Add cardamom powder, rose essence, fried cashew and stir well.
Take out and keep in serving bowl.
Beetroot halwa is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as dessert.
A scoop of ice cream with this halwa will make it more delicious.

Note: (updated : Mar 6 2015)
Nowadays before switching off, I mix 2 tbsp wheat flour / AP flour with 1/4 cup water and add this to halwa. Then I cook very well so that this halwa becomes glossy.


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Sardine fish curry

Sardine is one of my most favorite fishes. Sardine being one of the lowest in the food chain in sea world, it is lesser polluted than the bigger fishes. By the same time the health benefits outweigh the  bigger fishes. I haven't seen any fresh sardine in the region I am living. Though canned sardine is popular among Italians and dieticians, I wanted to devour Indian sardines in a curry. So bought a pack of frozen sardines from Indian grocery store and made a kulambu (curry) and fry on a weekend. Sardine is one of the lesser expensive fishes in Tamilnadu, but it costs almost $ 7.00 / 2 lb pack here.... closer to pomfret :) Interestingly enough, my hubby will eat bigger fishes like king fish and only a few selective varieties. I made him eat this by helping him picking out all those tiny bones from sardine in his plate,  as if we do for a child and he ate a few fishes too :) Just like my dad, he too feels weird to take some fish curry in his lunch box :)  But my dad's friends, my friends and hubby's friends , all like my fish curry and that's the trophy for this recipe:) Anyways , I eat this whole sardine fish along with those tiny bones and I love that head too, but exported frozen ones are neatly cleaned and packed ....which makes me still search for fresh sardines:)  I am narrating  a basic fish kulambu recipe, which is loved by people of Tamilnadu especially Tirunelveli:).

Other names: Indian sardine fish curry, saalai meen kuzhambu, chaala meen kulambu, mathi meen kulambu
Fish platter: White rice, sardine fry , beans poriyal, chaala meen kulambu, boiled egg.

Chaalai meen kuzhambu

Indian sardine (mathi / chaalai meen)

Ingredients:
Sardine fish - 1 lb
sesame oil - 2 tbsp
mustard seeds- 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small keylime size
Red chilly powder -1.5 tsp
coriander powder- 3 tsp
turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
tomato - 1
green chillies - 2
curry leaves- 2 sprigs.

To grind:
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
shallot - 8
cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
wash the fish and remove all the fins and scales by a knife.
Slit along its stomach, cut off the gills and mouth. Retain or discard the head portion.
I suggest retaining the head, if we are buying fresh sardines.
Run your finger all through the slit portion to remove intestines and any wastes.
Rinse well twice or thrice till water runs clear.
Apply little turmeric powder , salt over the fish and keep aside.

Extract juice from tamarind and add chilli powder, coriander powder, pinch of turmeric powder, salt and mix well.Keep aside.

Heat the sesame oil in vessel. (Fish curry prepared in earthen vessel tastes good).Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. After the mustard seeds crackle add the curry leaves .

Then add finely chopped tomato and saute till oil separates.
Add tamarind juice mixture and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Then add the finely ground coconut-onion paste.
Immediately after this starts boiling , reduce flame and wait till raw smell vaishes.
Add the fish.
cover the vessel partially to allow steam to go, reduce heat to minimum. Put the chopped green chillies and curry leaves.
Cook for 10 minutes in that low heat.
DO NOT stir the curry after adding the fish, otherwise you may end up with broken pieces. If needed gently shake the vessel, by holding the sides.
Switch off.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with rice, Idly or dosai .

Note:
*Always use a shallow-wide vessel to make meen kulambu.
*Earthern vessels are traditionally used in my native place for preparing fish curry. If using earthern vessels (mann pathiram) then we keep a separate vessel for non veg, this is a traditional habit there.
*I don't know why, but my mom used to insist on preparing some greens (spinach) or any green vegetables like beans along with this kind of fish curry. So I too follow that :)
*The fish kulambu tastes better the next day and I love to have it with idly or bread for breakfast ....anytime:)

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