Fish & Chips - #FishFridayFoodie

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone who is celebrating. I do not know much about this day - just know that it is the traditional day when St. Patrick passed away and its a Public holiday in Ireland as they celebrate the feast of his life.

St. Patrick used the 3 leaf shamrock (clover) to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish and I guess hence its all about clover leaves this day. I learnt from Lil Miss A that the reason everyone wears green on this day is because green is the color associated with Catholics in Ireland and Orange is associated with Protestants. I was not sure about this as she is just 6........... so, I did read about it online. She is right........ ofcorse she learnt it at school.

Ofcorse then there are legends or myths about rainbows and leprechauns and pots of gold. 

And ofcorse #LuckOfTheIrish

I wanted to make something special for this day that was from the region of Ireland.Wanted to try something simple that the family would love. So settled with fish and chips. I know, people associated Fish & Chips with UK........ but, it is very much found in Ireland and in Irish Pubs too. I just joined the group  #FishFridayFoodie  and they had a theme for Irish Inspired dishes. So, that was another reason for this dish.  

Ingredients

For Fish

5 big tilapia Loins cut into 3 inch pieces - we got about 15 of them.
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
7 oz beer (I used corona)
2 cups oil

For Chips (in Air Fryer)

4 Russett Potatoes
2 tablespoons Al Purpose Flour
Salt

Method

For Fish

Wash and pat dry the fish pieces and let them sit on a paper towel.
In a pan add the oil and let it heat till it becomes very hot (about 380F).
In a bowl whisk together the  flour, salt, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder and baking powder. Take half of this dry mixture on a plate. With the remaining half in the bowl, add the beer to this mixture and mix well till you get a flowy batter.
Take the fish. Put it on the dry flour mixture and then dunk it in the beer batter and then again in the dry mixture and dust extra flour off and let it sit on a baking sheet. Use tongs to do this. Get all the other fish pieces ready in the same fashion.
Keep cut potatoes in ice water after cut, and let sit 5-10 minutes
Meanwhile, dry the fish with paper towels and dredge each piece in the flour mixture on the baking sheet.
Add 3 fish at a time to the hot oil and fry for about 8 minutes till it turns a beautiful golden brown. Once done, remove and transfer to on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

For Chips

Peel the potatoes and cut them into big sticks like french fries. Keep them soaked in cold water for about 1 hour. Drain the water and pat dry the potatoes with a paper towel. Take half of them in a bowl, add 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp flour and dust each stick with it. Add 1 tbspoon oil and shake the bowl again. Add this to the airfryer at 375F for 20 minutes. Halfway through the cycle, just open the airfryer and give it a shake. Repeat with the other half potato sticks. Remove them on a plate and sprinkle some more salt on top.
You can fry these chips in oil too. You will need 2 cups oil. Heat it to 375F. Add potatoes in batches (do not overcrowd). They should turn a nice golden brown in about 5 minutes. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. When all the chips are done, add salt and mix well.

Serve the fish and chips together on a plate - if you line it with a magazine page or newspaper, you can get the authentic street side way of having the same food.

Sending this to #FishFridayFoodie

The theme this month was “Irish Fish & Seafood Recipes” - hosted by Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies?  

We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. 

To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517@gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

An InLinkz Link-up

Shrimp Biryani in Instantpot

We are a biryani loving family. Give us biryani with kachumbar or raita and we are a very happy family. Even Lil Miss A loves this spicy aromatic rice preparation. 

I have been using the instant pot for over a year now. Love this gadget.
Its not like I use it everyday. Well, there are a few things that I love cooked in pots over the stovetop or in an oven. But, I must say, this is used atleast 3 times a week in 'merakitchen'.

This shrimp biryani was made in the instant pt (IP) when a friend came over to visit. It was something that I could do with what I had on hand....... yes, busy week had made me skip grocery shopping. One of those times the IP came in very very handy. It was a nice treat as she loved it and the tiffin box I packed for her was relished by her family too. 

Ingredients

1 pound medium uncooked shrimp - devined (its approximately 40 to 45 shrimp)
1/2 cup fried onions - I get these fried onions from the Indian store. But, you can make it at home too
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup yougurt
2 teaspoons biryani masala (the link is to masala powder made at 'merakitchen')
2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 tomato - chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves
2 tablespoons coconut oil OR Ghee (Clarified Butter)
2 cups Long Grain Basmati Rice - you can use any rice you prefer
2 cups water
salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Method

Wash the rice and soak it in water for atleast 30 minutes. Marinate the shrimps in fried onions, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, ginger garlic paste, biryani masala, turmeric powder, chili powder, yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes too.
Heat the IP in saute mode. Add the ghee/oil. Once it melts, add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and black peppercorns. Saute for about 15 seconds and then add the shrimps into the oil. Cancel the saute mode. Mix everything well. Now add the rice and and add 2 cups of water. The water will just about cover the shrimp and rice mixture. Add some salt to taste. Cover the IP. Set manual for 7 minutes.
Once done, you can Quick release and open the lid once the floating valve goes down. Biryani is ready. Remove it onto a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with kachumbar.

Thai Red Curry - with Shrimps and Veggies (curry paste made from scratch)

We love cuisines from around the world at our home. Indian food is always a favorite and then come the other Asian flavors. Thai food is very much loved and when you think of Thai food its always the yummy curry with the sticky jasmine rice and chicken satay. We made the Thai Red Curry at home ........ yes, the paste and all too. It was a wonderful experience and I loved the fragrance on my fingers - especially from the lemon grass and the thai basil and the kaffir lime.

The shrimps and the veggies and the kale gave it a wonderful color and when it was served with sticky jasmine rice - it was a party in the mouth. Its super easy to make and you feel proud and accomplished. Yes, the ingredients list can look intimidating - but, trust me......... this is super easy and super yummy.

Ingredients

For the Red Curry paste

2 dried kashmiri chilis
2 dried byadgi chilis
1 birds eye thai chili (I removed the seeds)
1 lemon grass stalk (used only the bottom fleshy part)
1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime leaves (I used a bottled one) - if you get fresh, use 2 of them
1/2 teaspoon thai basil (I used bottled one)  if you get fresh, use them 2 to 4 of them
1/2 inch galangal (this can be substituted with ginger - but, it wont taste the same)
1 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil)

For the Red Curry

1 teaspoon oil (I used olive oil)
1 can coconut milk
5 baby corn - cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 green bell pepper - sliced
1/2 red bell pepper - sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts (used frozen)
1 onion - sliced
2 cups chopped fresh kale
15 to 18 medium shrimp (uncooked frozen used)
red curry paste
salt to taste

Method

For the Red Curry Paste

Pour about 1/4 cup of hot water over the dried kashmiri and byadgi chillis and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes to rehydrate them. Once done, remove the chillis and discard the water.
Take all the ingredients in the section and blend it in a mixer till you get a nice dough like paste. It will not be very smooth - but will still look like a paste. Here is the red curry paste - all ready.

For the Red Curry

In a saucepan add the oil. When it gets hot, add the onions and saute till it becomes transparent. Lower the heat and add the coconut milk and stir continuously. Add 1 cup water to the mixture. Increase the heat to a medium and cover the saucepan. Let this mixture come to a boil. When it starts to boil - lower the heat to a simmer. Now add the prepared paste and mix well and then add the vegetables. Add some salt to taste. Check the consistency of the curry - if it is too thick add another half cup water. Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for 15 minutes. Then add the shrimps. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes for the shrimps to fully cook (When they turn pink and they curl - its cooked).
Turn the heat off and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Crab Chettinad Fry - My Way!

As the name suggets - Chettinad food is from the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India. My knowledge about this cuisine is minimal - but, I love the flavors and the pungent taste and the aromas that it brings. This may not be the most authentic Chettinad food - but, this is how I developed the flavors based on the crab curry that we had from a seafood joint here in NJ called Arusuvai.

Chettinad food is generally consumed with rice or with rice based stuff like dosas, appams or adais. However, at Arusuvai we were served this kind of curry with Lacha Paratha and hence we like it like that.
This reminded me of Mahesh Lunch Home and Gajalee back home in my amazing town called Bombay (I refuse to call her Mumbai)
We loved this stuff and hope you like what you see and what you make at home too.

Ingredients

1 pound crabs - I used about 2 snow crabs here

1/2 cup sliced onions

10 cloves garlic

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 TBS coriander seeds

1 Tsp Peppercorns

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 Tsp Tamarind Paste (I get concentrated paste at the store)

6 dry kashmiri chilis (you can use more to get more heat)

2 TBS coconut oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

20 Curry Leaves

4 green chilis - slit in the middle

Salt to taste

Cilantro for Garnish

Method

Crabs need to be used immediately after cleaning - so we make the masala first and then do the rest.
In a Big Karahi or Wok - dry roast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon and kashimiri chilis. Once they leave an aroma add 1 TBS Coconut oil and add the 1/2 cup sliced onions along with the 10 cloves of garlic (chopped). Fry  till the onions turn a nice golden brown. Add the shredded coconut and let the mixture mix well and saute till you get the aroma of roasted coconut. Take it off the flame add the tamarind paste and let it cool. Once cooled down - grind it to a fine paste adding very little water just to ease the grinding process.
Wash and Clean the crabs and let them sit on a plate. In the same Wok or Karahi add the other 1 TBS coconut oil. When the oil gets hot add the curry leaves and the slit green chilis and in about 10 seconds add the onions and saute till they turn transparent. To this add the turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Add the ground masala mixture and mix well. If you feel that the mixture is too thick add just about 1/4 cup water and salt to taste and mix well. Add the crabs and cover each crab piece with the masala mixture. Cover and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the shells of the crab turn a nice orange you now crab is cooked.
If the masala is watery - just heat the mixture uncovered for another 2 to 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped Cilantro and serve hot with Parathas and salad.
If you are anything like us - you will not have parathas or rice - just plain crab chettinad along with salad.

Curry Leaves Fish Fry

We are fish lovers - and with the variety of fish that we get here, the love has increased three folds. I generally buy the frozen fish fillets and hence there are no bones to deal with and no messy hands either - now...... who would not like that?
We do get fresh pomfrets and king fish too at the local Asian Store - we do get fish and shrimps from there too. But, I prefer the pre-cut and vacuum packed frozen fillets as its easy for lil miss "A" to eat on her own and I have no worry about pins and bones.

Back home - the only way mom used to fry fish was using the red masala or the green masala - and these fish pieces would be coated with semolina (rawa) and shallow fried - something we savored with dal and rice. However, over the years I have tried to make something different with the fish, just to keep our taste-buds alive and to make mealtimes fun. There are so many varieties to prepare everything around the World. And especially in India - food differs from state to state.............. it differs from town to town actually. So, thats what we try at our home - preparations from different different places. This is one of those different preparations.

Ingredients

4 fillets of Swai (Sea Bass or Tilapia work too)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
4 stalks curry leaves (use only the leaves)
3 to 4 dried red kashmiri chili (use more or less as per your choice)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice OR vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt (add more or less as per  taste)
coconut oil for shallow frying (you can use canola, groundnut, sunflower or olive oil too)
1/4 cup fine rawa semolina
1/4 cup rice flour

Method

Dry road the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, kashmiri chillis and curry leaves till a nice aroma fills the place - be careful not to burn the stuff. Let it cool and then grind it to a fine powder. Mix this powder along with the turmeric powder, the ginger garlic paste and the lemon juice or vinegar and salt and mix well. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to get a thick paste. Spread it on the fish fillets and let this sit for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Make a mixture of rawa (semolina) and rice flour. Carefully coat the fish pieces in the rawa and rice flour mixture and shallow fry on a tawa till you get a nice crust. Garnish with cilantro/coriander and serve with rice and dal or just as an appetizer.
Alternatively, you can bake it in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.

Cilantro Salmon Bake

Salmon - that beautiful orange colored fish is an acquired taste. I still remember the first time I had tasted this fish......... I nearly spit it out. But, over time we have developed a love for this fish. We have tried cooking it with Cajun spices, Indian spices, even added it to curries. We love the fish cutlets made with salmon.
I always wanted to bake salmon using a crust - like most of the pictures that I had seen on pinterest and on various food sites. But, at the same time, wanted it to have some spice. So, we came up with this spicy cilantro mixture to be added on top and also in between the salmon fillet to fit our taste-buds. The result was - well, just awesome. We loved it.

Ingredients

4 center-cut fillets of Salmon (I used frozen Salmon)
2 cups cilantro / coriander leaves
4 green chillis (you can add more if you like it spicy)
8 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 onion
1 teaspoon salt (you can add more or less - as per your taste)
juice of a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, add the cilantro, garlic, chillis, ginger, onion, salt, lemon juice and 1/2 of the oil and pulse about 10 times to get a coarse mixture - it should look like the mixture does in the picture above. Take the salmon fillet and using a paring knife, make a small incision in the middle of the fillet, fill it with a little of the cilantro mixture and set aside - repeat the same process with the other fillets. Take a baking tray and grease with some of the remaining oil and place the salmon fillets in a row. Smear the remaining mixture on top of the salmon fillets evenly. Add a sliced onion or if you like a sliced tomato and pour the remaining oil all over. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes till the Salmon is well cooked.
Serve with Salad of your choice.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup lump crab meat (I used tinned crab)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon tobasco
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 egg - beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs ( you can use regular bread crumbs too )

Method

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients, except the panko bread crumbs. Mix well till everything is nicely incorporated. Make small cutlet shapes of this mixture and cover with panko bread crumbs. Line them on a greased cookie tray. Spray some cooking oil on top of these crab cakes to get a nice crispy sear. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 15 minutes - now flip the cakes to cook the other side for another fifteen minutes. Crab cakes are ready to be served with coleslaw and french fries.

Fish (Cod) in mustard sauce

Ingredients

500 grams Cod fillets (boneless)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 big onion - roughly chopped
1 tomato - roughly chopped
4 green chillis - roughly chopped
1 inch ginger - roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ajwain /carom seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
salt to taste
2 tablespoons mustard oil (I used vegetable oil)

Method

Cut the cod fillets into 1 inch pieces. Marinate in the next three ingredients and let it stand for 15 minutes. In a frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon oil and fry the cod pieces till you get a nice sear on the outside. Remove and let it sit in a plate.
In the same frying pan, add the rest of the oil. When it gets hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the onions and fry till they turn a nice golden in color. To this add the ajwain, tomoato, green chillis and ginger and saute for about 10 to 15 minutes till the tomatoes get all mushed up. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania jeera powder and salt and cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes. Let this mixture cool. Once the mixture is cooled, bled it to a paste in a grinder/blender. Add it to the frying pan along with 1/2 cup water and let the mixture boil. Be careful to keep the pan covered as this mixture will splutter. After about 5 minutes, lower the heat and add the seared fish pieces. Mix carefully and cover and let the mixture simmer on medium heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve hot with phulkas / lucchis (puris)/ Dal & Bhaat (Rice)

I do not know if this is the most authentic way of making the famous Bengali fish in mustard sauce, but this was my quick version. 
Moreover, Bengali's, use Rohu/Hilsa or other river fish to make their curries. I had cod in my fridge and hence used that.

Sweet Peppers stuffed with Crab Meat

Ingredients

8 to 10 sweet peppers - I had red, yellow and orange
1 cup cooked crab meat
1 medium onion - finely chopped
9 to 10 garlic cloves - grated
1 cup - chopped spinach
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
salt to taste

Method

Clean the peppers and cut it lengthwise in the middle into 2 portions. Remove the seeds and the veins and get the hollow to fill the stuffing in.
In a karahi add the oil. When it gets hot, add the onions and garlic and let it saute till the onions turn translucent. Then add the spinach and let it cook. when the spinach is all wilted, add the dhania jeera powder and the garam masala and the crab meat and mix everything well. Add salt to taste and mix well. Let this mixture cool down. Pour it into a mixing bowl and add the egg and bread crumbs and mix well.
Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray oil on it. Lay the peppers in a line. Fill the pepper cavity with the crab mixture. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the crab mixture and spray some oil over it again. Bake this in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.