Kathirikai Elumbu Kulambu

Kathirikai Elumbu Kulambu

I don't know whether you've heard of elumbu kulumbu..My mom does this often and I love it.She seperates the good fleshy pieces of chicken for fry and gravies and the ones that are boney for the famous elumbu kulambu.It can be made with brinjal,potato or drumsticks.

Ingredients
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oil (mixed -olive oil and gingely oil -> anyway thats upto you)
mustard seeds
curry leaves
coconut milk - 2 tbsp
coriander leaves
onion -1
tomato -2
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
red chilli powder
coriander powder
turmeric powder

to grind
*******
pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin -1tbsp
fennel seeds -1 tbsp
kasakasa - 1 tbsp

Method
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Heat oil.add mustard seeds and curry leaves.Add onion and saute.Add ginger garlic paste and fry it.Add red chilli powder - 1 tsp and coriander powder - 1 tbsp into that oil and immediately add the ground paste and tomato.saute.add turmeric powder.saute it for some time and add the chicken and brinjal.add salt,coriander leaves and coconut milk.Cook in cooker for 2 whistles.
I'm sure you'll love this recipe.

Tomato Pepper Fish gravy

Tomato pepper fish gravy

Have you had fish for chapathi.Thought I would give it a try.why not?!!...It turned out to be a very tasty combination when you use the right fish and the right recipe.

Ingredients
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Oil
mustard seeds
curry leaves
onion -1 (small onions or shallots wud be great)
tomato-4
Tilapia or any fish fillet - 3

To grind
********
Pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin- 1 tbsp
garlic - 10 cloves
curry leaves - few
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tbs
onion -1/2
coconut - 2 tbsp

Method
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Heat oil.put mustard seeds and curry leaves.Then add the onion and let it brown.Add the ground masala and tomato.cover and let it cook well till the oil seperates.Add the fish fillet and salt.cook well.Break the fish pieces with the spatula.the fish seperates well when it is cooked well.Now your gravy is ready to serve with chapathi.

Tip:

• Always try to cook the gravy without water at first.Add water only in the later stage.Try to cook the masala in the oil at first.


• If you feel it is too spicy,adjust it with tomato sauce.You can do this for any gravy.It works great.Actually increases the taste.
  
  
  

South India Fish cooking

Fish kulambu and Fish Fry

Seafood is one of my favourites...fish,prawn,crab..Hmmm..what more I have even tried scallops,mussels and oyesters which failed to amuse my tastebuds but oh yeh Olive garden's Calamari is a delicacy.When i came to USA,I cooked again and again with only two fishes i could find,Catfish and Tilapia which actually tasted good.Someone showed me a farmer's market where i get so many kind of fishes now like snapper,pompfret,and the bestof all,king mackerel.

But the fish kulambu recipe stays the same for all.Here it goes,

Swarna's Meen Kulambu
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Ingredients
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Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1 tbsp
Garlic (medium sized) - 20 cloves
Green chilli - 6
Curry leaves
Gingely Oil - 1/2 cup
Tomato -1
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Tamarind water -1/2 cup
Fish (of your choice)
Salt as required

To grind
*********
Onion - 1 (if you have small onions or shallots it is great)
Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp (skip coconut for a healthier choice)
Cumin - 2 tbsp

Method
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Heat oil in a kadai.put mustard seeds.After it crackles put fenugreek,garlic and 3 green chillies and roast till the garlic gets some brown color.add curry leaves.add red chilli powder in the oil.saute it exactly for 2 seconds or else the red chilli powder would burn.puttinnog the red chiili powder in the oil would give a nice color and smell.now add the grounded mixture.(keep this handy to put it immediately after the red chilli powder).saute it well.add tomato and tamarind water.Now add the fish and salt.let it cook.atlast add 3 slit green chillies and some curry leaves and switch off.This will taste better if you just close it and keep it for atleast 3 hours before eating.

Swarna's Fish Fry
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Now the recipe varies for fish fry.If it is fillet that you want to roast.Then this is the recipe.

Ingredients (Amount as required for the amount of fish)
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Louisiana Fish fry powder - as required (u get it in walmart and all stores)
Garlic powder
Cumin powder
Chilli powder
Coriander powder
pepper powder
salt
lime juice

Mix it all with some water and let it marinate in the fridge for atleast an hour.Overnight is great.Add oil in a pan and fry till it gets its golden color.Adding the fish fry flour keeps the pieces intact.

South Indian fish fry
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Vanjeeram (king mackerel) works great for this type of fry.Any other steak cut of fishes would do too.Take a bowl.For 5 pieces of fish,Add 2 tbsp chilli powder,2 tbsp coriander powder,salt,lime juice,little cumin powder,little pepper powder .mix it with water and make thick paste.apply over fish, marinate and fry.

Onion Salad
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This salad goes great with fish kulambu.Mix thin cut red onions,tomato,green chilles(few),coriander leaves,lime juice and salt.

Tips:
*****

• Remove the skin of the fish for kulambu if you don't like the strong flavour.
• Add some fennel seeds for river fishes.
• while frying turn the fish only once.don't keep on turning.
• Always add less salt and not too much tamarind while cooking.you can add later after tasting.