SEER FISH TAWA FRY

 SEER FISH TAWA FRY

India is a vast and diverse country so our people are used to eating so many different types of fish- be they saltwater fish or freshwater fish! In the coastal belt of Karnataka, a very popular fish- despite it being more expensive than most others- is the Seer Fish.  Also called King Fish, it is known as Surmai in Hindi and Marathi, Anjal in Kannada, Vanjaram in Tamil and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. 

We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful . Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone.  

Being fond of seafood, from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes such as:-

• Mangalorean Fish Curry 
• Goan Fish Curry 
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious shallow fried fish done in the Mangalorean style. I prefer to shallow fry rather than deep fry. The Byadgi Red Chillies which are soaked and ground add to the colour and visual appeal. I have adapted this recipe from the YouTube video for Surmai Fish Fry by Spice Dhamal.

We tried this out for lunch yesterday. It tasted so yummy with fried rice.

Ingredients:-

• Seer Fish Fillets, 250 gms
• Garlic Cloves, 8
• Ginger, chopped, 1/2 " piece
• Curry Leaves, 8
• Turmeric  Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Black Peppercorn, 8 
• Cloves, 4
• Cinnamon, small stick
• Lemon Juice, 2 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for shallow frying 

Method:-

Wash the Seer Fish fillets and pat them dry

Soak the Byadgi Red Chillies in hot water for about 25 minutes. Discard the water and keep the soaked chillies aside.

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked Byadgi Red Chillies, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt to taste 

Grind this to form a thick smooth paste, without adding any water

Remove the ground paste from mixer to a bowl. This forms the marinade for the seer fish. 

Apply the marinade generously and evenly on both sides of the fish fillets

Marinate for about 20 minutes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Allow it to become very hot, then reduce the heat and pan fry the marinated fish fillets for about 3 minutes on medium heat

Once one side is done, carefully flip the fillet ( so that it does not break) and fry the other side

Transfer the seer fish tawa fry to a serving plate

Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings

PRAWN CURRY

 PRAWN CURRY

My husband and I love shrimps, or prawns as they are commonly called in India. They are called Jhinga  in Hindi, Sigadi in Kannada, and Sungat in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some dishes made with prawns such as:-

• Goan Prawn Curry
• Sungta Humman
• Prawn Masala

Besides being so yummy - prawns are rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids and have an abundance of proteins. So, I make some prawn dish from time to time.

I have adapted this from Prawn Curry from Indian Healthy Recipes.

In making this dish I have used Large Sized Freshwater Prawns, cleaned and deveined, from Licious. 

I find the quality to be excellent and the fact you get it delivered home makes it a sensible and easy solution to buying prawns. 

We enjoyed this dish immensely- served as an accompaniment for hot rotis. I hope you will like this too!  

Ingredients:-

• Large sized Prawns, 18-20 
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Green Chilli, slit, 1
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Garlic Clove, large sized, 1
• Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp - for garnish
• Tamarind, a pellet sized piece

For the Masala:

• Onion, medium sized, 1 
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Tomato, large-sized, 1 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Garam Masala, 1/2  tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp ( for roasting ingredients for grinding) + 1 and 1/2 tbsp 

Method:- 

Wash the cleaned and deveined prawns thoroughly. Keep aside

Chop the tomato and onion

Chop the garlic clove 

Slit the green chilli

Finely chop the coriander leaves

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai, when it gets heated add the chopped onion and saute till they become translucent

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes

Next add the chopped tomatoes, a little salt, and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes become soft and mushy

To this add the garam masala powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and fresh coconut gratings

Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes taking care to see the spices don't get burnt

Transfer to a plate and let this cool completely

Once it is cooled, transfer to a mixer jar, aadd the piece of tamarind and 3/4 cup of water  

Grind to a smooth paste and keep aside

Heat 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp of oil in the same kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds

When they sizzle, add the slit green chilli, and chopped garlic

Saute till the garlic gets roasted then add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Add the freshly prepared ground paste and mix well

Add water to get a curry like consistency

Check for salt and add if required 

Bring this to a boil and cook till the curry thickens

Now lower the heat and add the prawns one by one

Let it cook on medium  heat till the prawns tails form a C shape which indicates the  prawns are fully cooked. Please remember prawns get cooked very fast- approximately 3-4 minutes

Switch off the gas and garnish the Prawn Curry with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve hot with jeera rice/fried rice or rotis

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: ANUPAM'S COAST II COAST

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE: ANUPAM'S COAST II COAST

When you decide to eat out, what determines your choice of restaurant? Some factors could be the novelty of a new place, positive references from family and friends and the type of cuisine they are famous for. Recently, we had lunch at Anupam's Coast II Coast at Bengaluru's popular Church Street, hosted by Prem's cousin: Rati. I guess all three factors mentioned steered us to this restaurant!! We thoroughly enjoyed the lunch! 

This restaurant carries on the tradition of yummy food started by its older avatar at Koramangala (another part of Bengaluru which is chock full of restaurants catering to myriad tastes). The one at Church Street is open from 11 am to 3.30 pm for lunch and from 7 pm to 11 pm for dinner.

There wasn't much of a crowd when we walked in around 12.30 but by the time we left after a sumptuous meal all the tables seemed to have filled up.

Rati and I chose Sol Kadi as an interesting drink to start the meal with. This is a traditional appetiser  made with Kokum, buttermilk, and spices. It was tasty and spicy. Prem settled for his usual Bira White beer. The crisp pappads were the perfect accompaniment for our drinks. They kept disappearing as fast as they came in. 

As you may guessed by now, we had come here in search of our favourite seafood. This restaurant is run by Tulu people who are excellent when it comes to Mangalorean sea food. Naturally we opted for fish and prawns in different forms rather than chicken or mutton.

The Pomfret Rawa Tawa Fry was lip smacking with the pomfret shallow fried on the tawa with a light coating of semolina or rava. Actually for all these dishes, you get a variety of fish to choose from- such as Pomfret, Kane, Anjal etc. We opted for Pomfret or Maanji as it is called in Tulu. It was so tempting that we started eating before remembering that we had not taken any picture!! 

Next up was something we were craving for, to be honest! Steamed Maanji or Pomfret - cooked with a green masala- was melt in the mouth soft and came served in the pack of banana leaves it was steamed in. The taste was out of this world. Perhaps the best dish of the day for me! 

We also loved the Prawn Pullimunchi- again traditional Tulu fare made with Yetti as Prawns are called in Tulu. This came with soft and porous Neer Dosas and with hot steamed rice. Pullimunchi gets its name from "Puli" which means sour and "Munchi" which means chilly in the Tulu language.  This was delicious too. It probably looks more fiery hot in the picture than it actually is. 

We also enjoyed the Kane Raw Fry - this dish had the Kane fish marinated in Mangalorean masala and evenly coated with semolina or rava and then fried till crisp and golden. This too was a big hit! 

When it came to desserts, we had the Tender Coconut Payasam which was a more traditional dessert to finish the meal. It was soothing and cool after the spicy meal.

We tried to persuade Prem to join us in this dish but he chose to stick to his favourite - Caramel Custard! 

Overall impressions: The service was quick and efficient. They let you take your own time without hassling you but were quick to serve the dishes on time. The food was excellent and I would strongly recommend Anupam's Coast II Coast, especially if you are looking for Mangalorean or Coastal style sea food. 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- "COPRA " IN SAN FRANCISCO

 OUR DINING EXPERIENCE- "COPRA " IN SAN FRANCISCO

Knowing that we are foodies, whenever we visit him in the US, my son makes it a point  to take us out to interesting restaurants wherever we happen to be.  He mentioned a new Indian restaurant called Copra that had received many rave reviews in the press and on social media.

It is located at 1700 Filmore, by co-incidence the very same location as the old "Dosa" which we had visited a few years ago. We naturally were excited at the thought of dining here and he made the reservations for us. Make sure you reserve well in advance to enjoy dining here. I was told that when it first opened the reservations were booked for the first 30 days!! 

The decor is striking! Quite different as you would imagine from most restaurants in the US. There is the Indian touch in the choice of artefacts and the ambience. 

This restaurant is the brain child of two people:  Executive Chef Srijith "Sri" Gopinathan and co-owner Ayesha Thapar, a restauranteur. Sri is a two star Michelin Chef and has worked earlier in the Taj Group of Hotels, cutting his teeth in the Taj at Bengaluru. He later  spent many years in the Taj Campton in San Francisco. He and Ayesha started a venture Ettan in Palo Alto, Ca. in February 2020 which became- and continues to be - quite popular. 

Our dining experience at Copra recently was most enjoyable. 

We started by ordering drinks. I opted for the  Ramacham Manhattan ( Ramacham, Black Cardamom, Sweet Vermouth, and Bourbon) which was quite delicious and something new for me. 

Served with our drinks were Pappadoms and Quinoa Crisps with a Chutney Palette comprising four very different types of chutneys: Wild Gooseberry, Burnt Chilli-Tamarind; Coconut Green Sambal; and Ghost Chili Chutney. All of them were lip-smacking. My favourite amongst these had to be the Burnt Chilli-Tamarind chutney.

Next came the starters-called Kadi ( after the Malayalam word for "Bites") here. We had Oysters with Fermented Chilies, Tamarind, and White Soy. I loved the way this dish was presented. We enjoyed the luscious oysters by scooping them out with a spoon.  

We also had the exotic-sounding Shinko Pear Sundal made with Black Chickpea, Raw Mango, Persian Cucumber, Red Onion and Nasturtium. The ingredients for the Sundal were brought to the table and like in a salad were mixed in a bowl for our enjoyment. 

In the next course, 'Light" in Copra speak, we asked for an innovative Thayir Vadai Chaat. This has Madras Mixture, Green Grapes, Citrus, Chili Cashew nuts and Date Chutney. Though the Thayir Vadai tasted just the same as it would in India, the combination of ingredients complementing it made it that much more appealing. 

For the main course we were torn between many options that sounded delectable. Finally we chose three dishes.  The first was the Black Cod Pollichatu- supposed to be one of the Chef's personal favourites. This came wrapped in banana leaves. It had shallot crust, had been cooked on cast iron and was served with red Matta rice and Moilee Broth. 

The second was the Konkan Crab Curry. This had crabs simmered in roasted coconut, coriander, tamarind, and red onion. It came with the Kerala favourite Appam with an egg in the centre. As you might know, eating crab can be a messy affair but is totally worth the effort. Our friends expertly wielded the crab cracker for us.  

                               Egg Appam with Chutney Palette in the background

The third dish was Dindigul-style Chicken Biriyani. This was made with Jeera Samba Rice, and came with Red Onion Raita and Pepper and Eggplant Salan. While this was tasty I felt perhaps they had reduced the spice level to meet their local diners' palate.

 In my opinion, and that of the majority of our group that evening, the stand out dish was the Black Cod Pollichatu. 

Naturally we had to close the delicious meal with a dessert. We had the Palkova and Pear Toast made with jaggery, nutmeg, and grated milk.

Overall, we loved the decor, service and last but not the least- the food. Highly recommended for Indian food- especially if you like dishes from the South Indian States of Kerala and Tamilnadu. 

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SPICY FISH FRY

 SPICY FISH FRY 

If, like us, you enjoy eating fish, you can be happy to know that fish are strong in protein and Vitamin D. They also have Omega 3 fatty acids which are of significant use to the body as well as the brain. You can read about this in more detail in this article "11 Evidence-Based Benefits of Eating Fish". 

I make fish dishes from time to time so elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes such as;-

• Paplet Masaledar
• Goan Fish Curry
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Today's recipe is for a spicy fish fry which I have adapted from Spicy & Tasty Fish Fry from the Telugu video in YouTube by Mana Chef.

We tried this out recently and enjoyed it with peas pulao for lunch. 

Ingredients:-

• Fish, 6 pieces, 500 gms 
• Coriander Leaves, small bunch
• Green Chillies, 4
• Curry Leaves, torn into pieces, 2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Coriander powder , 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Garam Masala, 1 tsp
• Pepper Powder, 1/2 tap
• Lemon ( squeeze 1/2 a lemon)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 4 tbsp, or as required to shallow fry the fish 

Method:-

Wash, clean, and dry the fish pieces

Grind together a small bunch of coriander leaves in a mixer jar along with green chillies to make a paste without adding any water

Transfer this paste to a bowl

Add torn pieces of 2 curry leaves, salt, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, and pepper powder and mix well

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and mix well

This forms the marinade for the fish

Immerse the fish pieces in this paste and apply evenly with your fingers 

Allow the fish to marinate for about one hour 

In a thick bottomed pan, heat 4 tbsp of oil 

Add the marinated fish pieces one by one

Use whatever masala/paste remains by applying to the fish at this stage

Fry the fish for about 3-4 minutes on medium flame. The heat should not be too high or low.

Cover and let it simmer for a couple of minutes

Then flip and fry the other side as well in the same manner

Switch off the gas

Transfer the fried fish to a serving plate

Serve the fried fish with onion slices and lemon wedges 

OUR DINING EXPERIENCE; ROCKFISH HARBOR GRILL, MONTEREY, CA.

  OUR DINING EXPERIENCE; ROCKFISH HARBOR GRILL, MONTEREY 

In some earlier blog posts I had written about our visit to Monterey, Ca and stay at the Old Monterey Inn. 

One evening we had dined at the Rockfish Harbor Grill. 

This is situated in the quaint and picturesque Old Fishmen's Wharf , where there are so many eateries and curio shops. We were attracted to this place mainly, I must confess,  by its strategic location with a grand view of the Pacific Ocean. As they say in their website, the restaurant enjoy's the Wharf's most expansive, panoramic views of the working harbor. 

We had the Italian pasta dish- Fettuccine Alfredo made with creamy white wine sauce and parmesan cheese. This was quite delicious. No wonder this dish is popular in the United States!

We also had the Shrimp Salad Sandwich, made up of tender pink bay shrimp with lettuce, tomatoes, tartar sauce, pickles and fresh fries. This was both tasty and filling!

As we ate we got a lovely view of the blue waters of the Pacific with boats anchored and at rest. 

My suggestion to you: If you happen to be in Monterey, Ca, do drop in a for a meal at the Rockfish Harbor Grill. 

PRAWN CURRY

 PRAWN CURRY

Today's recipe is for a yummy Prawns Curry -cooked in a tomato-onion based masala with spices - that goes great with fried rice and rotis. 

My husband and I love shrimps, or prawns as they are commonly called in India. Prawns are known as Jinga in Hindi, Zinga in Marathi, Sigadi in Kannada, and Sungat in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Apart from being very tasty, prawns are rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids and have an abundance of proteins . 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find the recipe for Sungta Humman, a spicy dish made with prawns- from our coastal Konkani cuisine.

I have adapted this recipe from Prawn Curry in Swasti's Indian Healthy Recipes. 

We tried this out recently and loved it served with Jeera Rice . 

Ingredients:-

• Prawns, 20-25, about 250 gms
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Garlic Cloves,, 2 
• Green Chilli, 1
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coriander Leaves, 1 tbsp, for garnish
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp 

For the Masala:-

• Large -sized Onion, 1 
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Large-sized Tomato, 1
• Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/3 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp 

Method:-

Wash, peel and devein the prawns, clean them, drain away the water and keep aside

Chop the onion, tomato and garlic cloves

Slit the green chilli

Finely chop the coriander leaves 

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and add the chopped onion and sauté till it turns translucent

To this add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes

Add the chopped tomato, salt and turmeric powder and cook till the tomato becomes soft and mushy

Next add the chilli powder, coriander powder and the Kitchen King masala and coconut gratings

Mix well and fry for 3-4 minutes 

Switch off the gas and allow the mixture to cool

Transfer to mixer jar, add the required amount of water and grind it to a smooth paste/masala

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the same kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the slit green chilli and chopped garlic

Saute till the garlic changes colour and gives off a nice aroma 

Add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Now add the freshly prepared masala and mix well, add water as required to get a curry consistency

Check for salt and add if required, then bring to a boil

Reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes

To this add the prawns 

Cook on medium heat till the prawns get done

You will know the prawns are done when they swirl to a a C shape 

Switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Serve with fried rice or rotis 

GOAN FISH CURRY

 GOAN FISH CURRY

Before I got married, we were strict vegetarians in my parents' house. Over the years, I began to eat non-vegetarian food once in a while and began to cook it too. Later, this dropped and we used to eat out more often than I cooked at home.  

Due to the Covid we haven't been going out so I decided a few days ago to make Goan Fish Curry. This is because we love prawns and other seafood and have fond memories of annual trips to Goa! I was delighted to get cleaned and ready to cook Black Pomfret delivered at home by Big Basket. In Goa, pomfret is known as Paplet. 

Apart from tasting delicious, Black Pomfrets have many health benefits as well. They are high in fatty acids besides having lots of Vitamin B 12 which is good for the nervous system.

This Goan Fish Curry was delicious and we enjoyed it for lunch with hot steamed rice. I have adapted this recipe from the video by Chef Varun Inamdar of Get Curried.

Fresh Fish from Big Basket! 

Happy to see My Story in Facebook Page for "Cooking With Shobana" for this - Goan Fish Curry In The Making - was well liked. I am sure you will like the dish too ! 

Ingredients:-

• Black Pomfret, 500 gms, or about 7-8 slices 
• Green Chillies, slit, 2, for the final touch! 
• Water, 2 cups
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste: 

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies,  5
• Tamarind Paste, 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies, 2 
• Ginger, 1 " piece, 
• Garlic Cloves, large-sized, 3
• Medium-sized Onion, 1/2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Black Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash, peel and roughly chop the ginger 

Roughly chop 2 green chillies 

Slice the onion

Wash the fish slices 3-4 times in water

Apply turmeric powder and salt to the fish slices and keep aside to marinate for about 15 minutes 

Dry roast the Byadgi red chillies, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and coriander seeds in a kadhai for a couple of minutes and then allow this to cool 

In a mixer jar, grind together the fresh coconut gratings and the dry roasted ingredients, along with tamarind paste, green chillies, ginger, garlic, sliced onion and turmeric powder initially in a pulse mode till the ingredients get crushed. Then grind the ingredients once more, adding the required amount of water to a smooth paste

Heat a thick bottomed kadhai and add the freshly ground paste, 2 cups of water and salt. (Remember that some salt has already been added to the fish while marinating)

Mix well, cover and cook the curry for about 10 minutes by when you will find that the masala would have released oil 

To this add the marinated fish slices and again cover and cook for about 6- 8 minutes or till the fish gets fully done

You can check whether it is well cooked or not by piercing the fish slices with a toothpick 

Take care that the fish is not overcooked otherwise the fish slices could break up

Lastly, add the slit green chillies 

Switch off the gas and transfer the curry to a serving bowl

Serve the Goan Fish Curry hot with steamed rice