Crispy-Crispier-Crispiest Fried Fish

I had just made fish curry the other day, but as i was in the city yesterday and had some fish and chips as a snack, i thought hmm why not have fried fish next : )

There is a very famous chain of  “NORDSEE” here and we love eating there, the fish fillets are so crispy, and so “Fishy” not the typical fried fish of our style where there are more spices and less taste of the real fish : )

(They use the Tempura batter)

 

 

Though I have used a bit of my spices too as I couldn’t help not adding them in (regular habits’ : )

It is as simple as it can be but it is really very crispy and ultra delicious!! Just make it and you will see it yourself! Fewer ingredients with a great out come!

You have to deep fry it on a high heat as we don’t have to cook the fish, it is done in no time. Don’t marinate it with too many spices, let the fish stay in its real color and form (No turmeric powder or Garam Masala and Co !)

 

If you are using the frozen fillet (like I did) then thaw is completely, dry it well and then marinate, or else it will leave so much water and milk that it won’t absorb the spices.

 

 

What I did was:

700 gram Alaska fish fillet (thawed as it was frozen)

(I had 7 fillets)

4-5 pods of grated garlic

1tsp salt (more to taste)

¾ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

½ tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)

2tbs lemon juice (fresh)

3-4 tbs of oil

 

For coating:

1 egg (beaten)

2 tbs rice flour

2 tbs plain flour

 

*mix the spices in oil

*pour this mixture on the fish and mix all well

*mix both flours in the beaten egg , it will seem like a cream, add that to the fish too, mix gently  taking care not to break the meat.

(The Flours make is crispy and the egg gives it a very light coating that holds the fillet and gives a lovely gold color!)

 *let it rest at least 2 hours

*heat oil in a broad pan and fry these on high flame

*turn one side after 3-4 minutes so the spices hold good, then turn over

*I made roast potatoes with it and a lot of Salad of course :)

My first batch was not so good, the coating left the fish because I turned over a bit earlier, all were too hungry  lol…/ But the second as you see here were honestly  +A : )
You can see the different color in the first pic :)

The fillet stays so perfect and full in shape!

Hope you enjoy it and have the best result if you are trying it!

Dont forget to feed my Fish :D

**The Cabbage Soup **

Quite some time back, my friend and I saw this show in the German TV where internationally well regarded physicians and doctors recommend different ways and methods how to eat your way back to health. How to give your body a pause from the daily one sided meal habits.
 

Many friends have asked for it so I thought to upload the plan, unfortunately I took no pictures of it and I don’t think that I will be making it again in the near future : )
 

So we both planned to try it out just for fun, but I must say in the end we enjoyed it and were happy that we did try and achieved good results. It was said that one can reduce till 5 kilos but I think that was a bit of exaggeration, my friend lost 3,5 kilos and I lost 3,2 kilos, and we really stuck to the plan 100%
 

 Here I must quote that though vegetables are the healthiest food one can eat but the body also needs protein and all other elements which are necessary for the growth and health as well.
 

Some points to keep in mind:

1. Please judge your strength, if you can pull through and if you feel you can’t then PLEASE stop and skip to your normal meal.
 

2.This soup is to be eaten one week; you either make it once and fridge it a week; or you can make it fresh every other day, you can eat as much as you like there’s no rule or quantity for it.
 

3. You should also do light exercises along this diet to burn more calories
 

4. A simple stepper works wonders too
 

5. Climbing stairs up and down does the same work
 

6. Cycling brings you to other thoughts, you enjoy the ride at the same time you are doing something good for your body and brain : )
 

7. Take good liquid intake, no fizzy drinks, cola, soda water; the best is; nice mineral water around 2 and a half liter. You can freely drink tea and coffee but without sugar and low fat milk!
 

8. You can eat fruits daily except banana and pears as they are high in cal and sweetness!
 

9. No peas, No sweet corn, No maize. No POTATOES!!!
 

10. Deprive your hunger with nice books and long slow walks in the fresh air.
 

 

These are all points I did myself and if the will is there and we are eating properly then you really achieve good results, I lost 3,2 kilos and I ate as much as I cud and I moved around a lot, went up and down stairs 5-6 times a day, and slept well from 10 pm to 7 am. So the body was actually taken good care of : )
 

So here’s what I made:
 

This is for one normal pot; I made it thrice in this week as I wanted fresh colors and taste for my eyes, that made is easy to slurp it down: )
 

*The main ingredient is the cabbage as this has the ability to burn down calories; tomatoes give you the glow and are good blood maker.
 

*Celery has a high content of Phosphor and essential oils  and is very good for nerves.
 

*Cauliflower is the best supplier for magnesium, iron and vitamin C.
 

*Onion is the best natural antibacterial vegetable.
 

*Carrots are very good for the eye sight, hair, contains vitamin A.D.E. and K in it.
 

*Leek is good source of dietary fiber, leeks also contain good amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Easier to digest than standard onions, and leeks have antiseptic and anti-arthritic properties.
 

 

So you need these ingredients:

6 large onions

3 tomatoes

2 green bell peppers (paprika)

500ml tomato purée tin

1 medium white cabbage

½ cauliflower

3 medium carrots

1 stack leek

1 glass water
 

-chop all vegetables in cubes or fine slices as u wish (I sliced them)

-put all in a pot with the water and let cook till Veg is tender

-I liked it crunchy so I kept checking till it was ¾ done and took off while it was still firm to bite
 

-you can season it with salt and pepper and soya sauce too

-I added hot sauce to make it a bit yummy : )

-sprinkle some fresh herbs like coriander, gives good aroma

-you can sprinkle it and season it with pepper each time u warm it to eat.
 

This quantity lasted three days as I ate whenever I felt hungry so u can cook accordingly

Good Luck and please check yourself how you feel after 3-4 days and only then proceed further with it!!!

Fish in Spicy Curry Sauce

 

Being very rich in Omega 3, the Fish is a must to be added in our meals. Fried fish is no doubt very tasty but after all the process of spices and frying it, its actually more of a spicy snack, whereas making the curry of it, brings out the real fish meat taste : )

  

 

 

It is good if we add Fish in our weekly plan, I always have a Fish day once a week and then I make it in different ways, I fry it with potatoes and Vegetable as side dish, I make it as a spicy fish snack and this curry is made quite often.

 

It is cooked very fast if handled with care.

 

                                             So this is what you need to do:

3-4 fish fillet ( i took catfish)

1 large onion

3 tbsp yoghurt

1 tomato (puree)

2tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp fresh grated garlic

¼ tp carom seeds (ajwain)

¼ tsp Nigella Sativa seeds ( kalounji)

½ tsp salt (more to taste)

½ tsp red chili powder(laal mirch)

¼ turmeric (haldi)

¼ cumin powder(Zeera powder)

¼ tsp fenugreek powder (methi)

Oil as needed

 

 

 -wash and dry the fish and cut into pieces

-heat oil in a wok and give in first the Kalounji

-now add in the fish and fry on a high heat, just keep turning so that it does not get soft and break

-now sprinkle the garlic and just fry once more and take the fish out in a separate broad  bowl/plate

-make a paste of the onion and tomato in a blender and mix in all spices plus the yoghurt into it

-now add the carom seed and let them splutter but not Burn!!!

- pour the blended paste and mix all well, the onion will cook and shoot and leave water cover it with a splash guard and stir till water dries and only “masala stays

-now put the fried fish back and just mix it very gently taking care it does not break

Sprinkle lemon juice, gram masala and set on dum.

 

 

 

 

I used very less spices in quantity so that the fish cold be tasted not only the spices  : )

You can surely add more spices according to your taste!

I made  both fluffy Naans and Khushka (Plain White Rice) with it.

 

Vegetable Polau in Tamarind Sauce

Sometimes the laziness takes over  and one feels like doing nothing : )  Actually I wanted to get up and make my breakfast today early at 9 am but then one after the other phone calls and then  answering my posts i was so caught up that it was nearly late afternoon.  So well no time for breaky left and I was also craving for rice so I got up and checked what all I had and then I just started to cook with a free mind and a hungry tummy : )

 

 I had kidney beans and maze cans in the store room, had paprika and green beans prepared in the freezer, had my bottles full of tamarind chutney in the fridge, well what more do I need then  :)

I used good spices in it and made a really “masala daar Poalu”

 What I did was nothing new just some twists and turn and there I had the yummiest Veg-Polau and I ate so much of it gosh I am sure I have put on 3-4 kilos in a day : (

 

What I did is:

Soaked 1 cup rice 

In the mean time I prepared the Vegetable Masala:

1 small can of maze (50 gram)

½ tin of red kidney beans (drain the water)

1 sliced red paprika

1 cup of frozen green beans

3 onions sliced

(yes I took quite a lot of onions deliberately)

3-4 green chilies

 

Spices:

1 ½ tsp salt and more to taste after adding the rice

½ tsp red chili flakes

½ tsp garam masala

¾ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp cloves

½ tsp black pepper corn

2-3 tbs of mixed pickle

4-6 tbs oil

*heat the oil and throw in the cloves and black pepper

*don’t let them burn, we need to get the strong aroma of the cloves

*add the onions and fry them till light brown not dark!

(because we have to add tamarind and that will give more color )

*as the onions are ready add in all the vegetables and mix and fry all

*now sprinkle all the spices one by one and keep mixing

*make slits in the chili and add that too

(I was wanting it to be more spicy somehow so I added pickle to it)

*add the pickle t and more in quantity if you like it hotter : )

*don’t cover as we need the Veg to be half done not fully cooked

*just keep stirring and drop in just few drops of water if it is too dry

*now drain the rice and add to the pot and mix all

*now you have to add the water so the rice can cook

I always have my tamarind chutney ready in bottles so I took:

*2 tbs of Chutney ( was a sweet sour one)

*1 ¼  glass of water

*Mix it well and pour onto the rice

Now taste the water, if you feel anything is less add it now before the rice starts to cook

*let the rice cook with the lid, as you see bubbles arise and water disappears set it on the dumm (steam) with a dry cloth, so the excess water will be absorbed

*keep it on the dumm for at least 10 minutes, then open the lid drop in 2 tbs of butter yummmz and sprinkle some garam masala and some 3-4 crushed cloves on the top and cover it again immediately

Take out the cloth in about 20 minutes, it is ready to eat!

 

The aroma you will get of this rice when it is ready is really different and hot

I ate it with my Sweet ‘n Sour tamarind chutney, you need nothing else with it, just  you, the spoon and the plate of this delish rice : )

 

Some points to note:

~When you fry the cloves in the oil, just do it for seconds, you will smell the strong aroma of cloves coming out in the oil and that’s what we need!

~When you add butter in the end with cloves that’s like the “jewel in the crown” You will feel this when you eat it :)

~When you add the pickle in it, you don’t need too many spices as that makes it already very spicy

~The rice may seem wet as you take away from the steam but it is normal, when you leave the pot uncovered for 5 minutes the extra steam evaporates.

Hope you try it and do share your opinion :)

 

 

 

 

 

Iskendar Kebab with Vegetable Fried Rice

A Turkish delight very different, juicy spicy and delissshhh :)

Usually these kabas are made with thin strips of meat, similar to the Döner Kabab. My friend makes them with mince meat and so I also learnt it this way. The typical ones are made with broad pieces of meat.

Whenever we eat out at the Turkish Restaurant I mostly order these :)

I read that these are named after the inventor of these called “Iskendar” we pronounce this name as “Sikandar”

In the restaurant they pour hot butter on it, I saved those extra Calories :)

 

 

These are super scrumptious when they are served fresh from the grill but i made them in the pan and they tasted… well quite yummy.

These are made in a lengthy shape and therefore we need a good amount of mince to form them.

 

 

500 gram minced meat (lamb)

1 onion (fine diced)

2 small tomatoes (deseeded)

2  tbs tomato puree

50 gram yoghurt

3-4 garlic pods (coarse grated)

½ bunch parsley( fine chopped)

½ cucumber (fine diced)

2 ½ tsp olive oil

2 green chilies (or to choice you can take paprika)

2-3 tbs butter to pour at the end

½ tsp each powder spices: as follows:

Salt-black pepper-paprika-oregano-white cumin

 

 

 

 

-mix all the spices in the oil

-chop the veg in dice (not to thick)

-Let it sit for a while so the juices of tomatoes and cucumber drains off

or squeeze very slightly to do so

-Mix all to the minced meat and let it rest for 2-3 hours

 

-Make thick and lengthy patties and shallow fry each side around 2-3 minutes

 -These kababs are actually served on Turkish Naan baked with yoghurt on the top so the naan is actually soft and half soaked in yoghurt. Taste very delish, but being a born rice lover I preferred to have it with egg fried rice  : )

 

 

Egg Fried Rice

2 cups plain white boiled rice (best is a night before)
4 eggs+ salt and pepper to taste
1 cup peas
2 spring onions ( in rounds)
5 garlic pods ( crushed)
3-4 tbs chili/garlic sauce
3tblsp butter

-boil the rice and keep it in the fridge a day before
-heat the butter in a wok, give in the garlic, fry light pink
-add in the peas and fry slightly, be carefully they will spring all around so cover it with a splash guard
-when the peas are a bit soft, add in the spring onions and just fry gently, shud stay green and crunchy!!
-now fold in the cold rice and mix all gently
-beat the eggs in a bowl, add the salt and pepper and fry a big omelet and then scramble it into pieces
-in the end mix in the chili garlic sauce and the spread the scrambled eggs on the top and mix it once again and leave it on a low heat for 10 minutes. Tastes very good!

 

Enjoy the Taste!