Fish Curry – Spicy Andhra Style

Fresh cat fish will be best for making this dish.

Ingredients

1. Fish -- 1 lb cut in thin slices
2. Onions -- 2 no

3. Green Chilies -- 4 no

4. Curry Leaves -- 7

5. Red Chili Powder -- 2 teaspoons

6. Turmeric Powder -- 1/2 teaspoon

7. Tamarind -- Lemon size ball soaked in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes

8. Salt to taste

9. Masala Paste – 1 ½ tablespoon

10. Oil 1/2 cup as non-vegetarian curries taste good with sufficient oil

11. Cilantro---2strings

Method of preparation

1. First, clean the fish with 2 teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and a table spoon curd.

2. Now take a cooking pot and put the clean fish pieces in it and add ½ cup oil, chopped green chilies, onions, curry leaves, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons red chili powder and salt to taste.

3. Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind and add it to the fish in the cooking pot. You can add little more water to extract the pulp completely.

4. Place cooking pot on the stove on a medium flame and allow it to cook till half way.

5. When it is half way done and boiling add 1 and ½ tablespoons of masala paste and let the gravy thicken and turn the stove off.

6. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice.

Corn Patties

Fresh frozen corn is used for making corn patties.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet Corn – 2 cups (no need to boil)
2. Putnalu pappu (roasted gram) -- 3/4cup
3. Jeera (cumin) -- 1/2 teaspoon
4. Green chilies -- 4-5 no
5. Chili sauce -- 1 teaspoon
6. Salt to taste
7. Coriander -- 5 strings
8. Maida (all purpose flour) -- 2 table spoons
9. Masala paste -- 1½ teaspoon
10. Oil as and when required

Method of preparation

1. First grind the putnalu pappu (roasted gram), jeera and chilies chopped into small pieces with enough salt and 3 coriander strings into powder (fine powder is not required).

2. To this powder add the chili sauce, masala paste and sweet corn and grind again.

3. Do not add any water as it does not have to be a fine paste.

4. Add chopped cilantro and mix well.

5. Use a medium sized non-stick pan and heat it and add 4 teaspoons of oil each time you are make a round of patties.

6. When the oil is hot spread it on completely and start making patties.

7. Take a tea spoon full of the Pattie dough and spread on the pan in the shape of small patties. You can spread like 5-6 patties in one round. Do not burn them as they may change the taste too.

Note: You can also deep fry them in oil like vadas.

Indian Beans with Tomato

Chikkudu kaya or Val Papdi is referred to as Indian beans. Frozen Indian beans are used for preparing this recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Indian Beans – 2 cups
2. Vegetable Oil – 3 teaspoons
3. Tomato – 1 medium sized
4. Onion – 1 medium sized
5. Green Chilies – 2 to 3 or add as you like
6. Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
7. salt as required
8. Curry leaves – 6
9. Cilantro – 3 full strings

Seasoning (Popu)
- Chana Dal - ¼ teaspoon
- Urad Dal – ¼ teaspoon
- Cumin Seeds – a pinch
- Mustard Seeds – ¼ teaspoon
- Dried Red Chilies – 1 should be broken to 2 or 3 pieces


Method of preparation

Boil the Indian beans with 3 cups of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt in the microwave for 15 minutes.
While the beans are cooking, finely chop the onion, tomato and green chilies.
Use a deep pot to cook the Indian beans curry.
Put the pot on the stove and heat 3 teaspoons of oil. When the oil is hot add the seasoning to the hot oil.
When the mustard seeds start spluttering add the curry leaves, chopped onion, green chilies and tomato pieces.
Let this cook until the onion and tomato turn soft.
Drain any water remaining with the cooked Indian beans and add to cooking onion, tomato and green chilies. Keep stirring until they are mixed well.
Add a big pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon full of red chili powder and salt as required, mix it well and put the lid on the pot.
Allow it to cook on medium heat for five minutes, and add a cup of water and mix well. Keep the lid closed.
When the mixture starts to bubble up and boil well, add one table spoon of masala paste. When the curry becomes thick turn the stove off, and empty it into a nice serving dish, and add finely chopped cilantro as garnish.

Masala Paste

This recipe is for creating the masala paste for all non-vegetarian or vegetarian dishes that require masala. This paste substitutes for garam masala powder. I learnt this from my mother. Masala paste is very easy to make and can stay in the refrigerator for several weeks, if stored properly in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

1. Coriander Seeds (Dhaniyalu) -- ½ cup
2. Cloves (Lavangalu) -- 2 teaspoons
3. Cinnamon (Dalchina Chekka) -- 1 inch piece
4. Poppy Seeds (Gasagasalu) -- 1 teaspoon
5. Black Pepper Corns -- ½ teaspoon
6. Cardamom (Yalukalu) -- 2 cloves
7. Ginger -- 2 inch piece cut into small pieces
8. Garlic -- 4 big pods
9. Coconut Powder -- 2 teaspoons

Method of preparation

Fry gasagasalu and black pepper together in a small pan until the gasagasalu turn light brown. Do not over roast them or add any oil to them.
Grind all ingredients listed including the roasted gasagasalu and black pepper corns.
Add a little water as you grind to make a fine paste. Masala paste is ready to use.
Store in an air tight container and refrigerate it. You can add as your taste permits to the dish you plan to cook.

Indian Spices in English and Indian languages

Spices represent sweet smelling and sharp tasting substances used for flavoring and are the main ingredients for any tasty food. The use of spices has been steadily increasing all over the world due to increasing migration of Indian community into countries and newly developed taste for Indian delicacies. Apart from whole spices, India exports lot of ground and ready to use spices to the world and is one of the major exporter of spices in the world. India has been the world's most favorite spice land since the beginning of civilization.