Party On My Table

MALAYAN CHICKEN ROTI CANAI

2015-05-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken legs, bone in. (Or use boneless chicken thigh pieces as the breast will get too tough.)
1 400ML can Coconut cream (slightly thick) . Do not use the sweetened variety
2 stick of cinamon
2-3 cloves
4 Potatoes, cut into large pieces
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
2 tsp red chili powder (do not use if you don’t want it spicy)
pinch sugar
salt to taste. About 1 ½ – 2 tsp
1 cup water. (or more as needed)

For the Malaysian Spice Paste

15 dry chillies soaked in boiled hot water for 30 minutes
2 medium onions
8 cloves garlic
2 ” Ginger
2 ” Fresh Turmeric root
1 tsp – Belachan – shrimp paste
3 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp cumin – adjust according to taste. We prefer only ¼ tsp
1 tsp fennel
3 cashews
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Oil

OR USE

Malaysian chicken curry powder packets from Malaysia, brands such as Baba’s meat curry powder or Alagappa curry powder (made in Penang). Or any other Malaysian curry powder brand available.

Mix this in 2 TBS oil and stir well.

USE ABOUT 5 TBS OF THIS READY POWDER OR MORE ACCORDING TO TASTE.

Method:

Process the ingredients for the Spice Paste to a smooth paste along with oil. Do not add water.
Wash and drain the chicken pieces well.
To a non-stick wok, add the the spice paste and heat on medium low heat. Stir continuously till it sizzles and becomes nice and aromatic, with no more of the raw smell. Add bay leaves and the whole spices (cloves,star-anise and cinnamon)
Add chicken and mix well with mixture.
add potatoes
add the coconut cream,
add the water
Mix in the salt, sugar
Add a little water if needed
Cook covered on low till chicken is cooked through OR transfer to the pressure cooker. Now pressure cook on medium heat for 12 to 14 minutes
Allow to cool before opening.
Serve with Plain White Rice or Malaysian Roti Prata.

IF USING READY CURRY POWDER, THEN GRIND ONIONS , GARLIC, GINGER IN BLENDER AND FRY TILL LIGHT BROWN. ADD THE CINAMON, BAY LEAVES, STAR ANIS.
COAT THE CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH READY SPICE MIXED WITH OIL WELL.
ADD IN ONION MIXTURE AND FRY FOR 4 MINUTES.
ADD COCONUT MILK/CREAM
ADD POTATOES
ADD WATER
SIMMER TILL COOKED OR COOK IN PRESSURE COOKER.
ENJOY!!!!

PATRA NI MACHI. ( Fish wrapped in banana leaves with green coconut chutney)

2015-03-02T05:04:00.005-08:00

PATRA NI MACHI. ( Fish wrapped in banana leaves with green coconut chutney)

A parsi cuisine favorite! This dish is served and relished at most Parsi weddings and Navjotes.(Thread ceremony)

As a child and even now, I look forward to going for These functions, for the food!

After moving, I had to learn how to re create these favourites!

This dish tastes best with Pomfret, but since I cannot find that here in Miami, I used Tilapia. It tasted good!

INGREDIENTS

6 Fillets of Tilapia, washed and salted.

1 big banana leaf cut into 6 pieces to wrap fish

thread to ties leaves

ingredients for coconut chutney.

1/2 a packet of the frozen shredded coconut. Or use fresh grated coconut.

1 large bunch coriander leaves

6-10 green chilies, depending on your tolerance for spices

2 ts roasted jeera seeds (cumin seeds)

3 tbs brown sugar (add more according tautest)

1 tbs tamarind paste.(add more according to taste)

8-10 garlic cloves

salt

juice of 1 big lemon

METHOD

Grind all the chutney ingredients in a blender with very little water, it should not be too dry as the steaming will dry it out more, but also not too wet and runny. If too wet or runny, add more coriander and coconut to thicken.

Taste, and add more sugar, tamarind, chillies or garlic and salt according to taste.

Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Place steamer on top.

Place a slice of the fish on a banana leaf, coat the fish with a thick layer of chutney. Flip and coat other side too.

Wrap this into a parcel in the banana leaf and tie with string.

Repeat with all 6 slices.

Arrange the fish in a single layer on the steamer basket, do not over crowd.

Steam on full boil for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

DO NOT TURN OR FLIP THE FISH.

Serve hot with a little extra chutney on side and roti!!!

Yummy!!!!

Philips Air Fryer Fish

2015-02-19T14:53:00.001-08:00

Cooking for my little ones is always a challenge. They want the same old things, but tire of them too!
I am always looking for different , healthier options for them rather that the store bought fish sticks or chicken nuggets.
I recently got the Phillips Air Fryer for christmas and decided to try it out by making fried fish for the tots. Turned out to be really good! Crispy from the outside, soft from the inside and moist! They polished it off in minutes and the best part.... I got the effect of a fried fish with NO OIL!!!!!!

INGREDIENTS

2 thick slices fish fillet
2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
1/2 ts oil
3 tbs rava atta or semolina

METHOD

Pour oil on fish slices to coat.
Sprinkle old bay seasoning
Coat with the rave or semolina and keep aside.

Preheat Air fryer to 290 and when done, place the fish in basket and set timer for 10 minutes.
Pause half way through, flip fish, start again for balance 5 minutes.
Thats it! Done to crispy perfection!!

Don't cook for more than 10 minutes if the slices are thick. If thin, then only 8 minutes. Flip or turn over half way through.

BAIDA ROTI. ( MINCED MEAT STUFFED IN EGG WASHED BREAD)

2015-02-18T14:08:00.001-08:00

The sights and smells that emerge from the lanes behind the Taj Mahal hotel, Colaba always remind me of my Favorite foodie joint... Bade Miyaan. No fancy restaurant, but the food is far better than most 5 stars!
I love that street food vendor. And though it is really hard to pick a favorite dish, the one I keep dreaming of is BAIDA ROTI!
After a few failed attempts, I came up with a version that is quite good. Hope you like it!

(makes 4 portions)

Ingredients for the filling

1 cup minced meat. chicken, mutton, turkey, beef

1 medium onion chopped fine

2 green chilies

2 tbs ginger garlic paste

1 ts garam masala

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs meat masala shaan.

1 tbs dry crushed kastoori methi

2 big eggs

4 tbs chopped onions.

1/2 ts red chili powder

salt

ingredients for roti

2 cups maida.(all purpose flour)

1 tbs oil

1 egg

1|8 ts baking soda

salt

water.

2 eggs beaten and kept seperate.

(I USED THE READY MADE FROZEN MALAYSIAN PARATHAS FOR THE ROTI. I JUST LET THEM THAW AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, THEN PUT SOME ATTA OR FLOUR ON CUTTING BOARD AND ROLLED THEM OUT A LITTLE MORE INTO SQUARES. IT WORKED REALLY WELL)

Garnish

Sliced onions

chat masala

green chili chutney

Method

Mix the flour with the baking soda, egg and oil. Add water and make into dough.

The dough should be soft.

Break into 4 equal portions.

Cover and keep under moist mammal cloth for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough balls into square shaped rotis.

Filling

fry the onions till brown.

Add the ginger garlic paste.

Add chopped chilies

Add the meat and fry.

Add the masalas.

Add the caster methi

Add lemon juice.

Fry till meat is cooked and dry. It should not be wet.

Beat the two eggs in a bowl. Add the chopped onions and red chili powder.

Keep aside.

Oil a hot non stick tava or pan, place one roti square.

In the centre of roti, add the mince meat.

Add 2 tbs egg mixture with onions and red chili on top.

Now fold the roti into a square pouch , one corner at a time. Fold the roti into a package.

Add a lilies of the plain egg mixture on top.

Cook on low heat.

Flip roti, Baste with egg o other side.

Cook till roti is golden brown and cooked.

Serve with sliced onions and spicy green chili chutney.

You can also sprinkle some chat masala on top of onions.

FISH CUTLETS

2014-11-13T09:54:00.003-08:00

FISH CUTLETS

3 fillets of fish. If bone in, please remove all the bones after boiling.

4-5 pods garlic smashed

1 big potatoe

Fist full coriander

1 ts jeera smashed cumin

2 green chilies chopped

Salt

Pepper

2 tbs mayonnaise

1 tbs mustard

1/2 cup grated cheese

Maida semolina

3 Eggs beaten.

Method

Boil the potatoes till soft.

Boil the fish fillets with garlic pods, coriander and green chilies and jeera.

When soft, remove from heat and mash together with potatoes.

Add more jeera and coriander and green chilies according to taste.

Mix in mayo and mustard and grated cheese.

Make into balls and flatten in palms of hand.

Dredge through rava. Both sides.

Apply egg on both sides.

Shallow fry till nice and brown and crisp.

Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney

FRIED FISH

2014-11-13T09:47:00.001-08:00

FRIED FISH

This is a very simple, easy, well almost too easy to post dish. I make it for my boys every once in a while. This time, my sixteen month old gobbled it up too.

This one is for the baby food I suppose, but it tastes pretty good and I had it with dal and rice.

Ingredients

3 fillets of any white flesh fish. I used tilapia.

Sprinkle of old bay seasoning.

A dash of garlic paste

Rava or semolina to batter fish with

Oil to shallow fry.

Use more spices like

Red chili powder

Amchur

Haldi

Dhannajeera

Green chili paste

For adults.

Method

Sprinkle old bay seasoning over fish. Apply garlic paste.

Roll fish slice in Ravi.

Shallow fry about 4 minutes on each side depending on how thick the fillet is.

Voila! Ready!

Serve with dal and rice.

DAHI VADA

2014-07-29T16:01:00.004-07:00

The Hindu blood in me rises up every once in a while and I crave for pure vegetarian food! Yes ! It's true, just plain simple vegetarian food! Well, maybe not so plain and simple, because I like everything spicy and tangy. Kind of like a giant chaat party!

This is one of the many dishes my Parsi mother mastered in our Hindu house hold. During her recent visit here, I begged her to teach me how to make Dahi Vada. I always thought it would be tedious and tough, but surprisingly, it was simple and fun to make!

This makes a great starter for a party.

For 15 people

1 1/2 cups challa vali moog dal ( split green lentils) ( picture attached)

1 1/2 cup white urad dal or matpe lentil ( not the black split kind) ( picture attached )

Mix both and Soak overnight

4 green chilies

Half bunch coriander leaves

1 inch adu

Salt to taste

1 ts jeera powder

1/2 ts red chili powder

Oil to deep fry.

1 big pot of Luke warm water to dunk the fried vandas in.

2 cups dahi, beaten with salt to taste

consistancy of paste in pictures below. I HAVE STILL TO ADD THE CORRIANDER TO THIS.

spoon measure for vada.

For chutney ( khajoor aamli chutney )

3/4 cup jaggery

1/2 cup tamarind deseeded( soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then remove)

1/2 cup dates chopped deseeded ( soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then remove)

1/2 ts red chili

Salt to taste. 1 pinch only

Soak all of the above with 1 cup water for 1 hour

Put in mixer and make paste.

Sieve the paste to remove any threads etc from tamarind.

Add salt to taste.1 pinch.

Method

Wash of all the seed coverings ( chilkas) from the moong dal and urad dal mixture.

Grind to a smooth paste with very little water.( as little as possible to make thick paste)

Add the green chilies to this in mixer. Not coriander.

Then Mix in finely chopped coriander into the paste.

Heat oil in a kadahi. (Pot)

With a round shaped table spoon measure size spoon, pick the batter and fry the in hot oil till it becomes slightly golden. Turn the vada.

Remove the vada from frying wok into a big pot that has Luke warm water in it.

Fry all the batter into round vadas like this.

Put directly into water. The vadas will become bigger in size.

After half an hour remove each vada one by one and squeeze out excess water between palms of your hand. Not too hard or they will break. But remove most of the water out.

Arrange them in serving platter.

Then beat the yogurt with salt to taste and little water and chili powder and ground jeera cumin powder.

Pour dahi mixture over the vadas in the serving dish.

Pour the red chutney on top of that.

Sprinkle red chili powder and chopper coriander on top.

Chill in fridge for two hours before serving.

Enjoy!!!

BHIDA PER EDU (EGGS ON OKRA)

2014-07-25T10:32:00.002-07:00

Another Parsi favorite!

A question I always asked myself as a child was " Do Parsi's ever eat a vegetable by itself? I mean without any meat added or eggs added to it?"

The answer is

" only when they have an upset stomach or are ill!!"

This is a very simple and easy dish to make and is a complete meal in itself. You can eat with bread or roti or as I do, with lime pickle!

INGREDIENTS

( enough for 4 servings)

About 1 1/2 cups sliced bhindis. ( cut in rounds)

1/2 cup sliced onion.

1/2 ts red chili powder

1/2 ts haldi ( turmeric )

1/2 ts dhanna jeera (cumin and coriander powder)

1 ts ginger garlic paste

1-2 green chilis, deseeded in chopped fine.

Salt to taste

2 ts oil

4 eggs. ( if you want to make this healthy, and still taste good use 3 whites and 1 full egg)

METHOD

Fry the onions with the green chilis and half the ginger garlic paste in oil till onions are translucent.

Add bhindis and stir.

Add red chili powder, dhanna jeera, haldi, salt and stir.

Sprinkle a little water and cover and cook for five minutes.

Meanwhile, separate the egg whites and yolks.

Beat the whites till stiff, but still fluffy.

beat the egg yolks and gently mix in whites.

Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and some salt.

When the okra is cooked, transfer in a flat, round frying pan if you cooked it in a

Pot.

Put on low flame.

Drizzle the eggs all over the okra.

Sprinkle sone more water if the okra is too dry.

Close lid of frying pan and cook till the eggs are set.

Do not flip over. ( this will spoil the fluffy, frothy look of the eggs )

Party On My Table: BOMBAY SANDWICH

2014-07-22T18:31:00.002-07:00

Party On My Table: BOMBAY SANDWICH

BOMBAY SANDWICH

2014-07-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

Bombay sandwich is by far one of the most loved, iconic street foods of Mumbai. Every street corner has a Sandwich- walla that doles out these tasty sandwiches. It is very easy to make and is a quick snack dish. Also a great appitizer to serve at a party.

Makes : 6 Sandwiches

Cooking time : 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

12 slices of bread

4 tbs butter

1/2 cup green chutney

2 boiled potatoes (sliced thin)

1/2 cucumbers (thinly sliced)

2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)

1 onion (sliced very thinly)

4 tbs ketchup

1 tsp chat masala

1 tsp salt

4 tbs zero size sev

For Green Chutney

3 green chillies ( more if you like it spicy. If you don't, then de seed the chilies)

1/2 bunch of mint leaves

1 bunch of coriander leaves

1/2 cup grated coconut. ( if you don't have fresh coconut, then use frozen grated)

4-5 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

2 tsp lemon juice

1 ts sugar

Salt to taste.

METHOD

For the green chutney-

grind together all the ingredients for chutney with very little water into a smooth paste.

Trim off the edges of each slice of bread, apply butter on all slices.

Apply green chutney on all 12 slices of bread, and ketchup on 6.

keep aside.

Place the slice of bread, with the chutney slide facing up , on a clean flat surface.

Arrange few slices of potatoes. Sprinkle chat masala.

Then cucumber. Sprinkle chat masala

Then onions. Chat masala

Then tomato. Chat masala.

If you want you could sprinkle some red chili powder too.

Place the other slice of bread with the ketchup side facing downward.

Press down of sandwich.

Cut into half and on top sprinkle 0 size sev over it.

Or If you want you can even toast or grill them first.

Then sprinkle some 0 size sev on it.

Serve immediately with ketchup and green chutney on side.

PS. If you dont toast it, then you can make them a day ahead and refridgerate. take out an hour before party and serve!