Prawn Patio#FishFriday

Prawn Patio, its a traditional Parsi dish which is not only spicy but sweet and sour too. Patio is a dish that was brought from Persia by Parsi who settled in India. Patio means hot, sweet and sour in equal measure.

Am, a big fan of Parsi cuisine so, tried this dish and it was really tasty, it is very different from our curries .Usually we do not add jaggery or sugar to our non-veg dishes but this curry has jaggery in it but still we all liked the taste and the aroma of this dish which goes well with rice.
Ingredients
½ Kg Cleaned Prawns
1 Tablespoons Heaped Thick Tamarind paste
3 Medium Onion-finely chopped
3 -4 Tablespoons Oil
2 Medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
2 Teaspoons Jaggery

2 Small Potatoes - cubed
Coriander leaves for garnishing 
For The Masala
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves
4 Green chillies
6 -7 Dry Kashmiri Red Chillies
2 Sticks Cinnamon(1"piece each)
4 Cardamoms
6 Cloves
8 Black Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1"Piece Ginger-
6 Big Cloves Garlic

Method 

Mix jaggery with tamarind pulp and keep aside.
Wash clean and devein the prawns.
Grind all the ingredients under masala, adding little water as possible to make a fine thick paste. 

In a heavy bottom pan/kadai heat oil, add onion and fry till translucent, then add tomatoes and fry for a minute.
Add the ground masala paste, and the wash the blender jar with ½ cup water and add that too, sauté well till oil separates. Add the potato cubes and let them cook.  Now add tamarind-jaggery pulp and sauté again for a minute, add water as required to make a thick gravy, add salt to taste. Let this cook till oil surfaces, taste for salt, sourness and sweetness, add accordingly, give this a nice mix. Now add the prawns, cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium low flame for 5 minutes. 

The gravy should be thick and saucy. 

Serve hot with rice, paratha or crusty bready.. Enjoy!!

My Notes
You can adjust the spices according to your taste, but, do not skip adding jaggery and tamarind, as these two are most important ingredients which give the authentic taste to the dish.

Labels: Seafood/Fish, Fish Friday, Prawns, Shrimps, Parsi Cuisine, Main course

For January's 2021, Fish Friday Foodie event our host is Rebekah of Making Miracles , wherein she asked us to share a dish that you deem company worthy; maybe something that was served to you once that you were impressed by, or a dish that has had rave reviews from friends or family when you've shared it with them.

• Creamy Shrimp Newburg by Food Lust People Love
• Crispy Shrimp Triangle Spring Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Dungeness Crab Risotto and Some Italian Bubbles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Easy and Elegant Garlicky Shrimp Pasta by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Prawn Patio by Sneha's Recipe
• Tilapia Curry by Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Mediterranean Baked Fish by Making Miracles

Saas Ni Machchi / Fish Stew - Parsi Style#FishFriday

It's our posting day for Fish Friday Foodies is making Seafood stews, theme chosen by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  

A dish that is always on the menu of Parsi functions especially for their weddings and Navjot ceremonies. It's a white sauce stew, totally different, yet very tasty and delicious.

This is so simple, to make with few ingredients and a delicious dish, which you must definitely try soon! 
If you do not want to use Pomfret fish, can use any white fish fillets that are thick and fleshy. Can use with bones to like I, did. Using the fish with bones gives a nice taste and depth to the stew.

If you do not want to use green chillies in this dish can substitute it with pepper powder.

Serves 2 

Ingredients

1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
3 Big Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
2 Green chillies - finely chopped
A Pinch of Turmeric powder
1 Large Onions - chopped finely
1 Medium Size Pomfret Fish - cut into thick pieces
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Small Egg
1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
2 Cups  Water
Salt to taste

Method
Clean  and wash the fish and marinate in turmeric and salt. While the fish is marinating.

In a pot, heat oil and fry the  chopped garlic saute for minute 

Add  onions until golden brown.  

Next, add in  the cumin seeds, chilly .

the flour as well as

 

Dry roast this mixture, ensuring there are no flour lumps. 

Once all the oil has been absorbed and the flour is sufficiently roasted (should be light brown in color) 

add in about 2 cups of water. 

Whisk the mixture to ensure there are no lumps. 

Bring this to a boil then add in the fish. 

Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it cook on a medium flame for 8 – 10 minutes until the fish is cooked.

While the fish is cooking, in a glass bowl  take the vinegar, sugar and egg. 

Whisk everything together until well blended .
Once the fish gravy  is done.  Let this gravy cool down for about  10 minutes.

Once cool,  remove the fish pieces on to a plate ( did this since pomfret is a very delicate fish and was worried that the fish will crumble)  add in the egg, vinegar mixture and 

give the gravy a good mix .  Place the pot back on to medium high flame and stir it continuously till it becomes  bit thick.  At this stage, you can  adjust the gravy  consistency accordingly.  This stew should have a nice sour kick.  

If your find it too sour, you can add a little more sugar, also  taste for salt  and add it as per your taste add in the fish pieces and  bring it to boil.  

This  is optional, wanted a  nice color contrast and garnish, popped  in few cherry tomatoes and just brought it to a gentle simmer.   If you do not want to add cherry tomatoes  then garnish it with cilantro / coriander leaves. 

  Oh! this delicious Saas Ni Machchi is ready.    Enjoy with hot rotis or with Yellow Rice.   

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. The gravy will turn thick - a jelly like consistency – don’t worry once you heat this delicious gravy it will loosen.

My Notes 

This taste best with pomfret, but can make it with any other white fish like Surmai / Seer Fish or Salmon, Cod  and it will also tastes that good.

If you want a smooth texture  to the stew, then grind to fine paste the garlic, cumin seeds and green chillies.  

Labels :  Fish, Pomfret fish, Stew, Fish Stew, Fish Friday, Parsi Cuisine 

An InLinkz Link-up

Akoori / Scrambble eggs - Parsi Cuisine

Scrambble eggs with toast butter for your perfect Sunday special breakfast.   . It is best served with chapatis, parathas or just toasted bread.

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
2 green chilies, finely chopped (as required)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ghee.

Method

Break eggs into a bowl and beat a few strokes till whites and yolks are well blended. 

Heat ghee,  fry onion in it till soft but not brown. Add coriander, chillies and tomato and fry till well blended. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove pan from fire.  Add the eggs, salt and 
return pan to fire and cook slowly stirring all the time mixture is consistency of soft scrambled eggs.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Linking this to "Come, join us for Breakfast"


Labels:  Egg, Breakfast, Healthy, Blogging Marathon, Parsi Cuisine, Come join us for Breakfast 

Vegetable Dhansak With Brinjal Pakoda - Parsi Cuisine

The Parsis of India are Persian Zoroastrian immigrants who settled on the west coast of India (Gujarat) around the 7-9th century . Parsis,  when they came to India from Persia, settled on the West coast of India in Gujarat , picked along the way the tradition of stews, gosht (meat) and dry fruits from Iran. They devoured the fish available on the coast and upped the sour content in their food with red vinegar / tamarind to balance the sweetness of Gujarati cuisine. That is how the Parsis, influenced by their history, founded their own distinct cuisine.  Hence, it's interesting to see that many Parsi meat preparation lean towards Persian cooking techniques ( slow cooking ), often bringing together a combination of meat, vegetables and lentils with Indian spices.

Dhansak is a popular dish, Dhansak is made by cooking meat with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. This is served with caramelised brown rice, which is rice cooked in caramel water to give it a typical taste and colour. The dal cooked with meat and vegetables served with brown rice, altogether is called dhansak. 

In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays. I have prepared a Vegetable Dhansak and served it steamed Rice and Fried Brinjals. This delicious wholesome dish was our Sunday Lunch.  This recipe was given to me by my friend.

Ingredients

For the Home made Dhansak Masala
1 Stick Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Sesame seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Fennel seeds
1/8 Teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Heaped Coriander seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns
2 Green Cardamons
1 Big Brown Cardamon
1/2 Teaspoon Shahjeera / Caraway seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cloves
4 Petals Star aniseed

1 Bay Leaf

Method for the Masala

Dry roast all the above spices for about 2 minutes.  Cool and grind to a fine powder.    Keep aside. The masala can be stored for 6 months.

Ingredients for the Dhansak 

1/4  Cup Toor dal
1/2 Cup Moong dal

1  Large Onion - chopped
1  Potato -  cut in cubes
1/4 Cup White Pumpkin - cut in cubes
2 Small Brinjals  -  cut in cubes 

1 Carrot - cut in cubes
1/4  Teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 Teaspoon ginger garlic paste

2 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoons Dhansak Masala -  homemade
1 Teaspoon Chilly powder

1 Tablespoon Jaggery Or Sugar
1  Tablespoon Tamarind paste

Salt to taste

1 Cube of  Vegetable soup
2 -3  Cups Water

 Method

Wash the lentils and cook them in a pressure cooker till done.

 In a big wok , heat oil, add the onions and ginger garlic paste,  saute till the onions turn  pink, then add all the vegetables and saute till  for 2 minutes. Add  turmeric, soup cube,  salt, lentils,  dhansak  masala, chilly powder and water. Cook on low flame for an hour stirring in between so that it does not burn at the bottom. After an hour add the tamarind paste, jaggery and  check the consistency of the dhansak,  add water if necessary and let it boil  again on slow flame for 10 - 15 minutes.  Garnish with chopped corainder and serve hot with steamed rice, Kachumber salad and Fried Brinjals / Brinjal Pakoda.

Fried Brinjal / Brinjal Pakoda

Ingredients

1 Big Round Black Brinjal / Eggplant

1/2 Teaspoon Dhansak masala

1 Teaspoon Chilly powder

1 Cup Gram flour / Chick pea flour

2 Tablespoons Rice flour

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method

Cut the Brinjal into round thick slices and keep aside.

In big flat plate mix the dhansak masala, chilly powder, salt, both the flours and mix well.  Add water to make a  very thick paste.  Take each slice  apply the paste on both sides and keep aside for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in frying pan, arrange the brinjals , keep on  medium flame till one side is nicely fried and turns reddish brown.  Flip  and fry the other side, in the same manner.  Serve hot with steamed rice and Dhansak and Kuchumber.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Labels : Masalas, Vegetables, Parsi Cuisine, Blogging Marathon, Homemade, Complete Meal

Patra Ni Machhi - Parsi Cuisine / Steamed Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf

Patra ni machhi is a dish in the Parsi cuisine, which is made from steamed fish topped with chutney and wrapped in a banana leaf.

Mumbai is home to a large Parsi community and if you've been to a Parsi navjot or wedding, you'll see that no Parsi celebration is without their favortie Patrani Machi.  This recipe is taken form Sanjeev Kapoors cook book.

Ingredients

4 slices Fish Surmai
1 Teaspoon Salt
For the Chutney
1/2 Cup fresh grated coconut
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Cup Coriander leaves
1/4 cup Mint leaves
7 cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Juice of one Lemon
Salt to taste

For wrapping
Banana Leaves

Method

Grind coconut, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder,coriander leaves, mint leaves, cumin seeds, lemon juice and salt to a coarse paste. Adjust salt and lemon juice.

Marinate the fish in the green paste , refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for an hour or two.

Place the steamer with water on medium heat. Place the banana leaves on top of the steamer for a minute (this makes the banana leaves soft and its easier to fold the leaves)

Place the marinated fish on the banana leave and fold (as shown below).

Place the parcels of fish on the steamer and cover the steamer with the lid. Now, let the fish steam for 10  to 15 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.


Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: May -- Week 3.

Labels : Fish, Parsi Cuisine, Blogging Marathon, Steamed, CCChallenge