Stuffed Pomfrets

Whenever I make this recipe, it is relished by everyone. Living in Mumbai has this advantage of laying your hands on every size of pomfrets. One has to prepare a green chutney that stuffs inside the pomfrets and the traditional red chutney that is smeared on the outer skin of the fish. Both these can be stored for 15 days in a refrigerator. The fish is then coated with a layer of semolina or rava and then shallow fried on a pan. The detailed recipe is mentioned below:

                                  The pomfrets coated with the masala and ready for frying.

                                            The pomfrets coated with rava and being fried

Ingredients

Pomfrets-medium size washed, cleaned and pockets cut to fill in the stuffing

Rava-1/2 cup

Oil for shallow frying

For the green chutney:

Coriander leaves– 1 bunch-100 gms

Mint leaves- a handful

Onion -1 medium sliced

Ginger -1 inch piece

Garlic -10-12 cloves

Green chillies - 2 or to your taste

Grated fresh coconut- ½ cup

Salt to taste.

oil -2 tblspoons

tamarind- a small lump

Lemon juice-1tsp

turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

For the red chutney:

Tamarind- ½ cup soaked in water for about 2 hours and strained into a pulp

Garlic- peeled  about a handful

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Chilli powder- Made from Bedgi chillies- 4-5 teaspoons

Fish masala-( Optional) 1tsp

Method:

For the green Chutney:

In a blender jar combine all the ingredients except the oil and blend into a smooth paste keeping the consistency thick .Do not add too much water. In a pan heat some oil and sauté the paste for about 10 minutes till the mixture starts leaving out the oil and has turned flavourful.

Cool the mixture and add the lemon juice. Store it in an air tight container.

For the red chutney:

Blend all the ingredients in a mixie and keep the consistency thick. This paste can be kept in the freezer for a long time.

How to proceed:

The pomfrets have to cut suitably to enable a pocket on one side while on the other deep gashes have to made . marinate fish with salt, turmeric powder.

Stuff the pocket with green masala and smear the red masala on the outside. Keep for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a flat pan. Coat the fish well with rava(semolina) on both sides  and shallow fry on the pan till both sides are golden brown.  Relish accompanied with a raw onion salad, rice and curry.

Bottle gourd with green gram lentils( Lauki Moong Dal)

The day dates back when I used to watch Swami Ramdev on Aastha channel along with my mother and he used to talk volumes on the benefits of bottlegourd.  This humble vegetable was often ignored by us particularly because of its bland taste. Knowing the benefits I started thinking of using it in dals, rasams, sambhar (curries). My husband particularly likes vegetables that are not too dry and do have a gravy medium in them.  This recipe was an outcome of all those necessities.

Bottle gourd is a cooling vegetable that contains 96% water and also contains minerals like sodium, potassium,  iron and vitamin C. It is easy to digest and good for elderly, ill, convalescence, children and those who have weak digestion. Its potassium content also makes it suitable for hypertensive patients. It is low in calories and this makes it suitable for weight-watchers and diabetic patients too. The soup made from this vegetable is also nutritious, tasty and keeps one “ full” longer. It can be combined with Spinach, tomatoes, onions, etc. I shall post these recipes in my later posts. While buying this vegetable, take care to choose the tender ones which are clean and light green peel on them.

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd – 1 chopped into ½ inch dices.

Green gram lentils or yellow moong dal -1/2 cup

Onion  finely chopped – 1 medium

Capsicum –finely chopped -1 medium

Tomato –finely chopped-1 medium

Ginger-garlic paste-1tsp

Green chillies-2 slit

Cumin seeds-1tsp

salt –to taste

Garam Masala or Indian spice powder -1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Coriander-cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – To garnish

Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

Wash the lentils and combine them with bottle gourd, add enough water and pressure cook to two whistles or till dal is done and mushy.

In a deep bottomed pan  heat oil, add cumin seeds. When they crackle, add green chillies and sauté. Add onions and sauté till they are transparent. Add capsicum and tomtoes, ginger garlic paste, spices, salt and cook till the vegetables are soft. Now add the pressure cooked combination of lentils and bottlegourd and stir on medium flame. Adjust salt and bring it to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Here I would like to mention that one should not peel the bottle gourd as many of the nutrients are lost in the peels. When pressure cooked the peel turns out to soft and the dish turns delicious. I think this dish is often prepared in some Gujarati homes. They go very well with Sweet Potato Parantha that I have posted earlier.

The lentils help to make a gravy kind of consistency and adds a mild flavour to it. You can also add kasuri methi, red chilli powder, kitchen king masala to spice it up further. Innovation is a continuous process isn't it?

Happy Cooking!

Cooking the healthy way, My recipes

Of course, My mother taught me my first steps of cooking. I applied them practically after marriage and may after two to three years later,I started polishing my skills on cooking. Though I do not claim an expert right now, I  have managed to keep my husband and my daughter happy and HEALTHY. The art of cooking healthy is not difficult if you really want to. The credit goes again to my mother and my grandmother who had instilled in me the need to cook healthy. I believe, the responsibility of the family health lies on the person who takes over the responsibility of the kitchen.
When the cook begins to start a dish, a thought should pass in his/her mind ,"Am I putting the right quantity of oil?" "Is this ingredient actually necessary ?" "Is the ingredient healthy?" When we talk of unhealthy fats, margarine, butter, clarified butter or hydrogenated fats, we are actually looking up to the fact that we have to consume it at a minimum rate to avoid cardiovascular risk. There is no such "safe age" where we can eat such harmful fats to a high extent and then rather coolly decide one  bright and shiny morning "This is it! No Unhealthy fats from now on." Eating healthy is a quality that has to built in us. When we are healthy it shows on our body- Well toned and with the right BMI(Body mass Index). It shows on your face- We are pink with confidence and it shows on our personality when we meet someone for the first time. And trust me! -It makes a lasting impression.


When I put up recipes I promise they would be easy to prepare,  tasty and delightful. I do not promise to put up photographs on each recipe as it is at times cumbersome. I would try my best to put up a photograph as and when possible. So Happy cooking the healthy way!!