Fish kulambu (curry)

Fish kulambu is a popular traditional South Indian curry.  My grandma used to cook fish curry in an earthen pot that enhances the taste of the kulambu. Also, She used to add raw mango to the kulambu.  I like the combination of Fish and raw mango. Fish kulambu tastes better the next day.  Fish curry goes well with rice and dosa. You can use any fish of your choice. This is the version of fish curry without coconut. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cat Fish/Red snapper/King Mackerel - 2-3 pounds
Onion - 2 medium finely chopped.
Tomatoes - 2 medium finely chopped
Green chillies - 4
Garlic pods - 8-10
Tamarind - lemon size
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Fenugreek - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Method

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of warm water and extract the juice.

Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add mustard, cumin, fennel seeds and fenugreek.  When the mustard sputters, add onion, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Let it fry till the onion turns golden brown. Add the tomatoes and let the tomatoes blend well with the onion.  Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tamarind juice. Mix gently and allow it to cook till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.

Add the Fish and let the fish cook in the tamarind/tomato/onion sauce for 15-20 minutes.  Stir the mixture carefully without breaking the fish.  Garnish with Cilantro.

Ribbon Pakoda

Ribbon Pakoda is a popular snack in India. It is a simple, easy to do snack for any occasion.   The main ingredients are rice flour and gram flour (besan).  This has become our family snack for long drives. My girls love this snack very much and I am sure you would too. You need a Murukku mould (picture) for preparing this snack.

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 2 cups.
Gram Flour (Besan) - 2 cups
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp.
Salt  - 2 tsp.
Hing  (Asafoetida) - a pinch.
Butter  - 2 tsp.
Water

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add butter (room temperature). Add water to the mixture and gently knead it into a soft dough. The dough should not be watery. Also, you should be able to press it with the mould easily.

Heat oil in a deep wide pan and fill the mould with some dough. Now squeeze the dough from the mould in the hot oil. Let the pakoda cook for a couple of minutes. Turn the pakoda and cook both the sides till it becomes golden brown.

Remove from the oil and keep them in a paper towel to drain the oil. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough. Let the Pakodas cool and store them in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot Halwa is an Indian sweet made with beetroot and milk.  If you like beets, you would enjoy this sweet dish. Beetroot Halwa can be served as a dessert or as a sweet dish with your meal.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

Beetroot - 2
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2-3 tsps
Cardamom - 3 (optional)
Cashews (optional)

Method

Grate the beetroot and cook the beetroot with milk in a pan.  Keep stirring the mixture till the moisture gets evaporated. Add sugar to the beetroot mixture and keep stirring. Fry the Cashews in ghee in a different pan and add them to the beetroot. The mixture changes to a bit dark in color.  Add the ground cardamom. Enjoy the beetroot halwa!

Chocolate cake

Thanks to Susan Head for this recipe.  I had this chocolate cake in our Church gathering and this is one of the best cakes I ever had.  Surprisingly, the recipe was very simple.  The cake is so moist that it doesn't need any frosting.

Ingredients

1 Box French Vanilla cake mix
12 oz pkg of chocolate chips
2 small boxes chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
11/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla

Method

Grease a cake pan.  Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl (I used a hand mixer) and pour the mixture in the cake pan.

  Bake at 325 for an hour.  Maybe a little longer. Let the cake cook before taking it out of the pan.

Enjoy!