Indian Delights_Recipes

 Indian Delights

Menu: Vegetable Fritters (Pakoras), Fish in Mustard Sauce (Maacher Jhaal) , Rice,

Rice Pudding (Kheer)



Salmon in Mustard Sauce served over rice with  a side of sautéed cauliflower



 

Vegetable Pakoras

(Fritters)

Ingredients:

·       an assortment of vegetables like onions, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and carrots

·       oil for frying

Batter:

• 1C besan (chickpea flour)
• ¼  C rice flour
• ½ t salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• 1t coriander seeds coarsely crushed
• ¼ t baking soda
• Water, as needed

Directions:

1. Make a batter with all the batter ingredients and water. The consistency of the batter should be such that when vegetables are dipped, a thin layer of the batter sticks to the vegetables.
2. Heat oil to about 350F.
3. Peel and cut the potatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant into thin (1/4”) discs, and carrots into sticks 3” long and ½ inch thick. Dip each vegetable slice in batter and deep fry a few at a time in hot oil.
4. Serve pakoras with mint chutney (recipe follows).

Variation: chop potatoes and onions into ¼” cubes and mix into the batter. Fry spoonfulls of the batter. Cilantro can also be added to the batter. This version works with chopped spinach too.

Maacher Jhaal

(Fish in mustard sauce)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fish fillets about ½ inch thick (tilapia, salmon, or catfish)
• ½ t turmeric powder
• ½ t onion seeds (kalo jeere)
• 1T cooking oil
• 5 serrano chili peppers whole (optional)

      Grind:

• 2T brown mustard seeds
• ½ serrano chili pepper (needed to cut the bitterness of the mustard)
• salt to taste
• ½ C water

1. In a mortar and pestle, grind together mustard, the chili pepper, salt and water. Add more water if the paste becomes thick. Strain through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon to extract most of the yellow part of the mustard. Put the crushed mustard back into the mortar, add more water and grind again. Strain this liquid into the previous mustard extract.
2. Heat oil, add the onion seeds. After a minute add the mustard puree and turmeric. Bring to a boil.     
3. Add the fish and serrano peppers. Add more water if necessary to ensure fish is immersed. After 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until fish is done (about 10 minutes). During cooking turn fish pieces once. Let most of the water evaporate so that the sauce is thick and coats the fish well.

          Serve with rice.

Note: Instead of grinding the mustard, use 2T Coleman’s mustard powder mixed with ½ C water.

 

Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:

• ½ Gallon milk (preferably full fat, half and half is even better but 2% is fine too)
•   1C rice
• ½ C sugar
• 1t ground green cardamom
• 2T rose syrup

Directions:

1.     Wash and soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.

2.     In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Then reduce heat and let milk simmer until reduced by 1/3.

3.     Add the rice and cook stirring frequently until the rice is cooked and the mixture is creamy.

4.     Add sugar and cook for 2 minutes.

5.     Add the cardamom and rose syrup. Turn off the heat.

6.     The rice pudding can be eaten warm or cold. Refrigerate the leftovers.