I wish I could just get back to how life was normally – waking up lazily, watering and talking to my plants, just going by my life at home and just taking life as it goes. When life just goes on, we wish there was something more to it, when Allah decides to just let you know that things were fine as it was. Mentally, it has been a little overwhelming for me, because I am so used to being busy and having something or the other to do, that being on the bed most of the time isn’t taking well on my thoughts. I am just trying to stay as positive as possible, since I have no other option. This current situation is going to take around a month to get back to normal, or close to it, so I have to gear myself for it. In between, yesterday Rasha turned 15. I sometimes can’t believe that my girls are no longer little. All I pray for them is that Allah keeps them steadfast and levelheaded to face the challenges of the world ahead of them… This time I couldn’t bake anything but since she isn’t a cake fan, I don’t feel guilty about it.

It has been quite some time since I have posted any Emirati recipes on the blog. I can’t believe that the last recipe was the Thareed Lahm, that I posted as the National Day special post, which was a good six months ago. It has been mainly because I haven’t been trying much. The past couple of years have been a limbo as far as trying new recipes are concerned, and that explains the slow down in the posting as well, compared to the initial years. But I guess, that is a general transition when you blog for a long time – the circumstances change, so does the taste buds of the family as they grow into their stages. I don’t want to keep promises to myself but of course, want to explore at least some new recipes as soon as I am able to get out of bed… Hehe…

This is likely to be the last leg of the majboos recipes on the blog. I have already posted the chicken – the most tried and tested, Alhamdulillah! -, mutton and fish versions, which I realized I had posted exactly a year before. Even though prawns aka shrimps are technically in the fish category, the coking style is different and hence a totally different recipe. The prawns are marinated and cooked in the beginning and then added back to the rice just before the steaming process. I used medium sized prawns in this recipe. Try to use these or the jumbo ones, since they seem to go well with the recipe and would hold shape.

Since I can’t eat prawns, the family, especially my majboos crazy HD really devoured it. But if you ask me which is his favorite, it is always the chicken one. Always have a small bottle of the bezaar spice blend handy, so that you can make any of the Emirati delicacies at a whim. I usually make half the batch and it stays for at least 3-4 majboos cooking. Do you know that Emiratis use a lot of prawns and fish in their cooking, due to the proximity of the sea to the desert? Do check out the Arseeyeh Rubyan, Marrag Samak and the Emirati style baked fish, just among the limited recipes on the blog. Off to this delicious recipe…

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Majboos Rubyan | Emirati Prawns (Shrimp) Machboos

Course Main Course

Cuisine Emirati

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR PRAWN MARINATION

• 500 gm shrimps/ prawns, cleaned and deviened medium sized/ jumbo
• 2 garlic pounded
• 1 heaped tbsp bezaar spice blend
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• Salt to taste

FOR RICE

• 2 1/2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil as needed
• 2 large onion thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 loomi slightly crushed
• 1 small stick cinnamon
• 2 cardamoms
• 4-6 black peppercorn
• 1 veg stock cube optional but recommended
• 3 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

• Marinate the prawns with all the ingredients and keep aside for at least fifteen minutes.
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the prawns and cook both sides till slightly browned and almost cooked. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pan, add more oil if needed and add the onions. Fry till nicely browned and crisp. Drain half of it out and set aside.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, loomi and whole spices and cook till the tomato is completely mashed and cooked.
• Add the water and stock cube and bring the mixture to boil. Adjust the seasoning.
• Add the rice and allow it to boil till the rice absorbs most of the water.
• Keep the flame at the lowest. Sprinkle the reserved fried onion and coriander on top. Layer the fried shrimps as well.
• Cover the top tightly with aluminum foil, close the lid. You may keep something heavy on the top of the lid as well.
• Cook for 20-30 minutes on the steam. Switch off and allow the rice to rest till the time of serving.
• While serving, toss up the rice to mix with the prawns. Serve hot with yogurt and salat on the side.

The post Majboos Rubyan | Emirati Prawns (Shrimp) Machboos appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I know that many a times, rice isn’t a part of dinner meals, but I find rice as one of the easiest options when it comes to cooking quick fix meals. Especially during Ramadan, I cook rice for dinner as it saves a lot of time and is filling as well. That is what made me decide to post this super simple recipe as the second post for this week’s Blogging Marathon #132 theme of “Fast Dinners under 30 minutes”.

Tuna is something that I keep at home always, even though my folks aren’t very fond of it. I tell them, I need some respite from not having to think who likes what before cooking anything. It can be literally frustrating, isn’t it? Anyway, there are times when we make toasties or a simple stir fry to go with store bought khubs for dinner. Now I am going to add this one to my list too. It is one of the easiest meals that I have ever made. I cooked the rice on one side and when it was almost done, I made the tuna masala on the other side, mixed it together and let it steam for the flavors to mingle. I was so glad that my girls really loved it and I hardly had any leftovers. Rasha said I should make this frequently – a huge compliment from an awfully picky teenager. Off to this simple recipe…

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Spiced Tuna Rice

Course Rice

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2 tins tuna chunk 170 gm approx, in water
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves minced

Instructions

• Wash and drain the rice.
• In a saucepan, heat lot of water with little oil and salt. Once boiled, add the drained rice and cook till el dente, around 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the oil/ghee. Splutter the cumin seeds and briefly fry the ginger garlic paste.
• Add the onion with a little salt and saute till wilted.
• Drain the tuna and add into the pan. Break the chunks using the spatula.
• Add in the turmeric and red chilli powders and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Now add in the cooked rice, toss lightly. Sprinkle the garam masala and the coriander leaves on the top.
• Tightly close the lids with foil or cloth, to avoid steam from escaping. Keep the flame on bare minimum and allow it to be on dum for 5 minutes.
• Switch off and keep undisturbed for another five minutes.
• Fluff up and serve hot with raita and achaar.

Notes

I have used tuna in water. This is best to avoid any additional oil in the dish. 

The post Spiced Tuna Rice appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I have been itching to do a book review on the blog since a very long time. For this reason, I had made this dish and kept it in my drafts as well. But as life played its game, the book review kept being pushed ahead and this time, I couldn’t let it slide to the next month. If I do that, then I wouldn’t take interest in exploring my other book and posting a review on the blog. Off late, I haven’t been buying cookbooks, but I still have a lot of them that are untouched. They are more like display material for me, that I love to have a look at and smile at myself. Yeah, one of my weirdest habits… With a little bit of shame, the last book review appeared exactly a year ago! I have to buckle up myself and push myself forward, for sure…

Penguin Books India have a lot of cookbooks that are titled “The Essentials of ***** Cooking”. The series has a number of them dedicated state wise. The book I am reviewing today is one among them. Of course, when you saw the post titled, you must have understood that the book is a Kerala based one.

“The Essential Kerala Cookbook” starts off with the picture of a lipsmacking fish curry and an “ara muri” (half shell” of coconut. There is nothing much about the author Vijayam Kannampilly, except that he is an artist and stays in Kochi. From what can be understood, the book is an amalgamation of recipes collected from various people spread across Kerala and they are mentioned in the acknowledgments section.

The book starts off with a few introductions, like the cuisine, the dishes, the cooking methods and some basically used recipes. It is then followed by recipes divided by categories. The book has covered a lot of basic Keralite recipes that is usually known including the varutharacha (roasted coconut) curries, breakfast items and payasams. While some recipes have a small introduction para, most of them really don’t. This Meen Moilee recipe was simply mentioned as “a Christian dish”. Another interesting thing of this book was that certain recipes had additional versions too, to show that the same dish can be made in different tastes, just like this dish. The whole book is in black and white and has no pictures, which is a disappointment. So basically, the use of this book is like reference, which it does a fair job, I felt…

When I landed up with some fresh karimeen, my head was only singing to me to make some fish moilee. Usually karimeen tastes the best when made into pollichath, but this is another way to enjoy it. Moilee is a coconut milk based fish curry which is usually a part of the cuisine from the souther Kerala areas, where there is a sizeable Christian population. Most the time, the moilee is usually a watered down fish curry with little fish and a lot of gravy, making it one of the best curry to have with puttu, ari dosa or idiyappam. However, I wanted to make it for rice, and this version in the book seemed to be perfect.

Like I mentioned, there were two versions in the book – one with minimal ingredients and this was the other one. The main thickness in the curry comes from ground aromatic paste, heavy on coriander. That explains why this moilee may look different from the others I have tried. This curry was perfect with rice and a vegetable stir fry on the side. The moilee is always made with thick fish, so you can use the likes of king fish and pomfret to make this. You can even use prawns in this curry, if that is what you have. If you are looking for something different to go with your afternoon rice, then mark this moilee to try!

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Meen Moilee | Kerala Fish Molee

Course Fish

Cuisine Kerala

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 500 gm kingfish, cut can use king fish or pomfret
• Coconut oil as needed
• 2 onions sliced, meduim
• 3 green chilies minced
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 2 tomatoes chopped, meduim
• 1 stalk curry leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk not too thick nor thin

FOR MARINADE

• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

FOR PASTE

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp black pepper powder
• Water as needed

Instructions

• Wash and drain the fish. Mix together the marinade ingredients and rub onto the fish. Allow it to marinate for 20 minutes.
• Grind the ingredients for the paste adding sufficient water. Make sure it is smooth and thick.
• In a pan, heat sufficient coconut oil. Fry the fish on both sides till golden, not necessarily fully cooked. Drain and set aside. Reserve the marinade.
• In the same oil, add the onion, green chillies and ginger, and saute till wilted.
• Add the tomatoes and curry leaves and cook till wilted and slightly browned.
• Add the curry paste and saute for two minutes.
• Add the fish along with half cup of water, mixed into the remaining marinade. Bring to boil and cook on low flame for around five minutes.
• Now add the coconut milk, swirl the pan and switch off. Do not heat.
• Serve with rice, appam, idiyappam, etc.

The post Meen Moilee | Kerala Fish Molee appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I was hoping that once I get back, I will be able to get back to blogging like I used to do before. But jetlag is such a pain… It is a constant fight to get the body and mind to coorindate and get back in track. As I do this post, I can’t but think with a sad heart that it has been one week since we are back. Days are flying as if there is no tomorrow.

The girls’ schools are expected to open to face-to-face classes soon and I can’t wait for them to go to school. It is mainly because their concentration on studies have hit a road block ever since they have been sitting on their laptops. My sound seems to have taken a toll but not their listening capabiities. :/ At least once back to school, there will be an urgency to do their work and be up-to-date, which was not the case when home.

I know a lot of the parents are not still opting for this, but looking into it, by being at home, our kids are missing the most fun part of being at school – being social with their friends. Thanks to Covid, they won’t be able to share each other’s lunch boxes or sit next to each other on the stairs during the recess. I feel sad about how much of their childhood has been wiped out by this pandemic, but Alhamdulillah, we have survived and hopefully things will get better, InShaAllah…

It seems like ages since I have shared an Emirati recipe, the last one being with fish too. In general, my trials of recipes, whether new or old, has taken a back seat this whole year, due to so many reasons, so I am just thankful I am able to feed the blog. Hehe… Shark is a fish that is widely available here and is loved by the Emiratis. In fact, it is one of my favorite fish too. If there was a fish umma never liked, it is this and when she had to fry shark, she would make something else for her. The thing with shark is that it is a very thick skinned fish, and once it is gutted, there will be hardly any flesh available. But I find the meat of this fish absolutely delicious. However, there are times when the flavor of the shark can be smoky or taste a little off. I have no clue why this is, but I have had this experience a couple of times and that makes me think twice before buying shark…

Now this dish is feels like our Kerala style meen thoran. The chunky fish is first boiled, shredded and added into a  deliciously spiced base to make up the final dish. The recipe was really hard to find, however I was lucky to find it while browsing a magazine in a store and immediately took a click to make it. The recipe uses the bezaar spice blend, which is used in every spiced Emirati dishes. I loved that this dish used crushed fried onions, and I decided to stick to it. I found another recipe that used tomato chunks as well. If you like tomatoes or need a little more body to this dry dish, you may add so.

If you are wondering how to serve this dish, it is usually served with plain rice or saffron rice and if you need something to go with it, then a good option is this lentil soup or Daqoos. It goes amazingly well with chapathis or just eaten with plain bread. Off to this simple recipe…

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Jesheed ~ Emirati Minced Shark

Course Main Course

Cuisine Emirati

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg shark fillet
• 1 small bay leaft
• 1 inch pc cinnamon
• 1 loomi (dried lemon) crushed

FOR DISH:

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chiliies minced
• 1 loomi (dried lemon) crushed (refer notes)
• 1 tbsp bezaar spice blend
• 1 tsp black pepper powder add more to taste
• 1 cup fried onions, crushed made of 2 large onions
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Instructions

• Wash the shark well. In a pot, add the shark, cinnamon, bay leaf and loomi along with lots of water and salt. Bring to boil and cook till the shark is almost cooked.
• Drain and allow to cool. Shred the fish after discarding the bones.
• In a saucepan, heat ghee. Fry the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and crushed loomi.
• Add the shredded shark along with the bezaar spice blend and pepper powder and give a good toss. Sprinkle some water to keep the dish together and cook on simmer for five minutes, stirring in between.
• Add the crushed onions to the done shark and adjust salt. Cook for two minutes, add the coriander leaves and switch off.
• Serve hot as side to plain rice.

Notes

The original recipe uses dried loomi powder in the sauce prepared. I used one loomi crushed. You can add 1 tsp loomi powder if available. 

This dish is dry. Some recipes use tomato. If using, then chop one tomato into small peices and add along with the shredded shark. Cook till smashed and done.

The post Jesheed ~ Emirati Minced Shark appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

How was Eid for all of you? I must say that I was pretty much impressed as to how the Muslims over here celebrate it as much as they can despite it being a working day. We went early for the Eid prayers to the nearby community center. Here, the Eid prayers are done at various times in order to accomodate the crowd in the limited space. After that, we came home and had our breakfast of ela ada and cutlet with some chai. We then went around to distribute the cakes we had baked for a few neighbours. We came back and after a little resting – we had slept so late the previous night – my sister made fish biriyani and chicken fry, while I made Kunafa with the dough I had bought along with me in my luggage. We had a barbeque later, so we carried chocolate cake as snack. We had a lovely time and the climate was absolutely fantastic. It was a memorable and different Eid, to say the least…

Of late, the past few days have been pretty lazy. We have been just going around for some little shopping and the only trip we took was to the Art and Space Musuem in Chantilly. We wished that we spent a little more time there by going earlier, it was amazing. They had planes from the early 20th century that were totally in shapes and sizes unimagineable.

I have a lot of posts in my drafts to complete, but I am really not in a mood to sit and post. I just want to take it slow. Fish is not something that my girls like to eat, however I make sure I still fry fish every day for lunch and try to force the girls to eat them. Much to my dismay, they never give in to my forcing. My sister is also getting increasingly frustrated with how choosy my girls are with eating. I have never been a mother who danced to their likes with regards to food, and still they turned out to be like this. I have no clue where I went wrong… You can find all the fish recipes on my blog over here…

I love lovely paste like fish curries and this Chettinad style curry is one of my favorites. The aromatic spice paste that goes into this curry is the highlight of it. It is not difficult to make at all, since the ingredients are all readily available in any Indian pantry. The base of the curry is completely made with shallots and tomatoes. Any curry with shallots is always super delicious, when compared to cooking the base with regular onions. So please put your laziness aside and peel all those shallots. This recipe works best with gingelly oil and hence the mention. I hardly use gingelly in my cooking, yet I keep a small bottle at home for such recipes, since the correct flavor with only come with the correct oil. Yes, I agree gingelly is a little heavier but the end result is always delicious. I used shark fillets in my curry, but you can use any of your choice. If you are looking for a different fish curry for your lunch, then go ahead and try this one…

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Chettinad Meen Kuzhambu | Chettinad Fish Curry

Course Main

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR MASALA

• 1 tbsp gingelly oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves

FOR CURRY

• 1 tbsp gingelly oil
• 1/2 cup shallots peeled, sliced
• 2 green chillies slit
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 small pc tamarind lime sized, soaked in 1 cup hot water
• 400 gm fish steaks cleaned and drained
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Prepare the masala by heating the oil, and add all the ingredients into the hot oil. Cook for a few minutes till aromatic. Allow to cool.
• Add little water and grind to a smooth paste.
• To prepare the curry, heat oil in a saucepan. Saute the shallots and green chillies till wilted.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook till wilted. Sprinkle water if it sticks to the pan.
• Squeeze the tamarind well and discard the waste. Pour the water and bring to boil.
• Add the fish and salt and cook on low flame till half done.
• At this stage, add the paste and cook till the fish is well done. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve the curry hot with rice.

The post Chettinad Meen Kuzhambu | Chettinad Fish Curry appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I wish my folks would eat fish. Back home, fish is a part of our daily lunch habits. There would always be a fish curry – usually the varutha style – and if there is extra, then fish fry too. There wouldn’t be a single day where fish wouldn’t be a part. When umma would go to be with my sister in US, her only complaint would be the non-availability of any fish except frozen fillets and salmon. When my parents come here, fish is the top on our grocery list. Hehe… Despite being back home, where fish is usually available in abundance, D would always say that somehow fresh fish from the market here tastes way more better. I guess it is more due to the lack of use of any preservatives in the fish here.

Unfortunately my girls are not at all into fish. Rasha would eat an occasional prawn roast or a fried peice of kingfish or pomfret, but nothing more than that. Azza wouldn’t even bother touch with her hands. HD wouldn’t go beyond one peice most of the time. How much ever I tell them that fish is such an amazingly lean and healthy protien, it simply doesn’t work with them. When they were small, they would at least make an effort to eat, but now it has gone to almost nil. Hmm…

So when I got this whole sea bream ordered fresh, my girls simply turned their faces away. I was a little disappointed because I thought they would eat it, since it is a white fish and isn’t smelly. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and bake it for lunch during a weekend. I have made seared salmon before and also baked fish the Emirati style. I didn’t want to bake it with our style masala rubbed on it. HD is usually good for ideas when I get stuck. He suggested that we do just salt and pepper on the fish and stuff its cavities with whatever is available. He then dug out the lime and coriander from the fridge and then the garlic and got to work. He threw in the small peice of capsicum that was lying in the fridge and hence you see those little sprinklings around. Hehe…

We cooked the fish for just fifteen minutes and it came out really well done and utterly delicious! Seabream being a white fish is really easy on the stomach and a delight to have. We had it with some jeera rice and dal tadka, and what a meal it was! Though my girls didn’t touch the fish despite me cajouling them to atleast try a peice, I am just glad I got to enjoy half the fish on my own. This wold be amazing with whole fishes like hamour or a small king fish too… If you are someone who likes  fish with minimal spices, this recipe is surely a must try…

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Baked Sea Bream | Easy Baked Fish

Course Main Course

Cuisine International

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 500-600 gm sea bream whole, cleaned
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil as required
• A small bunch of coriander leaves
• 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 lemon/ lime sliced

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray and set aside.
• Clean and pat dry the whole sea bream. Draw stashes with a knife.
• Season generously on both sides and rub some olive oil as well.
• Stuff the coriander leaves, lime and garlic into the cavity of the fish.
• Bake for 12 minutes. Turn on the grill and grill for 2 minutes.
• Take out and serve hot with side of choice.

The post Baked Seabream | Easy Baked Fish appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Currently I am struggling with routine. Once Ramadan is gone and Eid is finished, getting back to the regular routine of cooking three meals a day and deciding what to feels a little overwhelming. I have to just be happy that I have a family who prefers simple meals and hence I do not need to break my head to make my meals. Hehe… meanwhile, since this is the month of Shawwal, there is a voluntary fasts of six days, if fulfilled along with Ramadan, becomes equivalent to fasting one whole year. Last year, thanks for Covid getting on to me immediately after Eid, I wasn’t able to do the fasts. But this year, I really want to be doing it somewhow, InShaAllah…

Coming to the recipe post for today… It has been so long since I have posted any Emirati recipes of late. I have been a bit lagging in trying new ones as well. I hope I can get back to making more and posting them as well, so let’s start with this one for now.  The Chicken Majboos is one of the most tried and loved recipes on the blog for all good reasons. I have also posted the meat version, which is something I cook when I get some good mutton. This is the third version, which is made from fish.

The recipe is quite different from how the meat ones are made. I have adapted this recipe from here, with some minor changes. Since there is not much flavoring from the fish, the rice has a lot of flavor elements going into it. The list of ingredients may look a little long, but it isn’t essentially complicated to make. If you get some really good king fish or a nice steaky sea bream, then do try making this rice over the weekend or a weekday lunch too. You won’t be disappointed…

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Machboos Samak - Emirate Fish Majboos

Course Main Course

Cuisine Emirati

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 500 gm king fish steaks
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp bezaar spice blend
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying

FOR RICE

• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp bezaar spice blend
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
• 2 loomi
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 stock cubes
• 2 green chillies
• 2 cups basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• A fat pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 bunch coriander leaves chopped

Instructions

• Marinate the fish in the spices mentioned and set aside for 15 minutes. Shallow fry in oil till just brown. Drain and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat oil. You can add the oil back from what was used for frying fish. Fry the onions till caramelized.
• Add the garlic, tomato and tomato paste and cook till the tomatoes are completely mashed.
• Now add all ingredients from cumin powder to green chillies and saute for a few minutes or till raw smell is gone.
• Add three cups of water and bring to boil. Adjust seasoning.
• Add the drained rice and cook on meduim flame till the rice soaks up all water.
• Reduce the flame to minimum. Sprinkle the saffron water, the ghee and coriander leaves. Line the fried fish on top. Seal the pan using aluminum foil or cloth and close the lid tight.
• Cook for 20 minutes and then rest for 10 minutes. Open, fluff the rice and serve with regular sides.

Notes

You can use whole fishes instead of steaks. 

The post Machboos Samak – Emirati Fish Majboos appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Here is the final recipe for this week’s theme of “Rice Dishes” under the Blogging Marathon #109, after the Pulao and the Egg Biriyani.

Malabar has its fair share of one pot rice, just like the pulaos of the North. That is where our Erachi Choru, Kozhi Choru and Meen Choru all belong to. However, considering Malabaris have a little soft corner to prawns, being a delicious shell fish so rarely available, there should be a “chor” which will use only prawns. I have already stated before that I have a prawn allergy and hence I don’t cook it much, especially if I need to handle it. If it comes shelled, then I may give it a try. There are already few delicious prawn recipes – like this roast and this Thalassery style biriyani – that I make, but I don’t eat, yet the family loves it and enjoys it. This is just to add to the very few I have on the blog…

I have taken the short cut route and used frozen prawns to make this dish. I wouldn’t suggest it is a good idea. Frozen prawns would be awesome for snacks like cutlets or the kinnapathiri, but other than that, but when it comes to cooking it for a main dish, fresh prawns win hands down. The recipe of this chor is also very close to how the other similar dishes are made, but I always feel that the flavor that prawns impart is something very unique. I have mentioned in the recipe card as to how to handle this recipe when you make it with fresh prawns.

I agree, frozen prawns makes things much easier, but definitely wouldn’t be as delicious as the fresh ones. The spices used in this dish are straightforward and quite easy to make too. It is just the perfect dish to make when you want to make something special on a weekend, yet feeling lazy to do so. Since prawns do not take much time to cook, it is imperative to keep watch on the cooking time so that the prawns don’t get too chewy. Off to this super easy recipe…

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Chemmeen Choru - Malabar Prawn Rice

Course Main

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• FOR PRAWNS:
• 400 gm pack frozen shrimps refer notes
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• FOR RICE:
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp fennel powder
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1 1/2 cup basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes and drained (refer notes)
• 2 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish.

Instructions

• Wash and drain the thawed frozen prawns. Toss up with the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powders and salt and leave aside to marinate.
• In a big saucepan, heat ghee and oil. Fry the whole spices briefly.
• Add the onion and saute till wilted.
• Add the masala powders and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add the tomato and the marinated prawns and cook till the tomato is smashed.
• Add the water and bring it to boil. Add the basmati rice, season well and add the garam masala.
• Once the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce the flame to minimum and cook on low flame till the rice is all done.
• Add the coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes

If you are using fresh prawns, marinate the prawns and then fry it briefly in oil at the beginning and set aside. Add it at the time when the rice is being added.
Usually, jeerakashala rice is used. If using, then take exact double quantity of water for the amount of rice, and no need to soak.

The post Chemmeen Choru – Malabar Prawn Rice appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Even though I have a huge cookbook collection, I have literally stopped going through it, or even flipping through it. I have gone through these bouts of addictive behavior, where I would hoard stuff, and then all of a sudden, just stop. Once upon a time, I used to hoard bags, and then I gave off all mine and retained just what I like. Then I would hoard watches. Even in those, I gave off those I got bored off and continue to use some that I really love. There was a time I wouldn’t come home without buying a new pair of sandals or shoes. I have outgrown that stage. When I started blogging, my focus went onto props. I have props hidden in every corner of the house, that I do not know where to start cleaning and disposing from. It was during the same time I started with my cookbook obsession too. I have now literally stopped buying them, because I don’t know what more I can add! I guess I am just trying to be a bit more conscious on where my money is flying to, even though it hasn’t stopped doing that despite all due diligence…

OK, so coming back to cookbooks, once upon a time, Kozhikode airport used to have a bookstore close to the departure gates. It had closed down and we were quite sad about it because it was a hobby for me and Rasha to simply scroll the books, and end up buying a few, at least magazines. Recently, I noticed a DC books stall has been put up and last month, I ended up picking a couple of fiction books. So when the old store was around, I had picked up a nice glossy Malayalam cookbook which was a book of houseboat specials. We had been to a houseboat when Rasha was small, but we didn’t get a chance to eat, since our was a hurried up trip and we could only go on a boat around the “kaayal”. Usually on a houseboat, fish is the most cooked, since it is readily and freshly available.

Now as I found this recipe, I got a bit excited and immediately put myself to work. My folks aren’t fond of fish, but I would still make sure I cook it once in a while. The problem with this recipe in the book was that it was incomplete. Some of the ingredients mentioned in the method were missing in the ingredients list. Have you faced this issue? It really bogs me down, when that happens. So I went with my instincts and added the quantity. It was a delicious coconut milk based curry, different from the way I am used to making. Since there is a ground masala that is used to marinate the fish, it gives a nice body to the curry and hence can be had with chapathis or even porottas. Do try it if you are in a mood for a different fish curry…

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Meen Thengapaalil Vevichathu ~ Alapuzha Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Course Main

Cuisine Kerala

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 500 gm king fish steaks
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
• 3/4 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• TO GRIND:
• 5 shallots
• 2 green chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 inch peice ginger
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 small pc tamarind
• Salt to taste
• FOR CURRY:
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 shallots sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

• Grind all the ingredients under the "To Grind" and toss the king fish into it. Let it marinate for an hour.
• In a saucepan, add the fish with all its marinade and the second coconut milk. Bring it to boil.
• Add the spice powders and give it a good mix. Cook on low flame, tossing occasionally till the fish is completely cooked.
• Add the thick coconut milk, adjust the seasoning, Only heat the mixture and switch off.
• Heat the coconut oil, fry the shallots till brown. Fry the curry leaves and add back to the gravy.
• Serve with chapathis or porottas.

The post Meen Thengapaalil Vevichathu ~ Alapuzha Fish Curry with Coconut Milk appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

While I was trying to figure out what all I need to bake for this month’s Bake-a-thon, the first thing I did was to go through my Pinterest boards for ideas. However, it so happened that nothing went as per what I was planning to do. Interesting ideas kept coming in between and I kept changing my plans but then if there was one thing that I stuck to and did was to bake these buns called Malu Paan that I had bookmarked when I had dabbled a bit with Sri Lankan cuisine in an edition of the BM sometime ago – remember the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry? If you haven’t tried it, then please do!

I don’t have a tuna friendly home, to say the least. I love it as a lazy meal and usually prepare it this way. It is the best thing you can get in without spending too much time cooking it. However, B is not fond of it at all, so I avoid making it whenever he is there for dinner or he carries his lunch, and somehow those days are always more. But when D and umma comes, he needs me to make tuna for dinner at least once. He loves to mop them up with khuboos and it is always a delight to see him enjoy it…

So when I decided to make these Malu Paans – which are triangular buns stuffed with a delicious tuna potato filling – I had already planned to distribute this to HD’s staff. The reasons are obvious – I was sure my girls wouldn’t like it. The recipe for these buns are straightforward. The covering can be any usual yeast bread dough that you would usually make, with or without eggs as per your choice. The filling is done with potatoes and tunas, so it feels like a bun filled with tuna cutlets. Hehe…

While going through the recipes on Google, many of them used curry powder to spice the filling. If you get your hands on Sri Lankan curry powder, then there is nothing like it, but you can use any curry powder or masala powder that you have in hands. I had a pack of Madras curry powder, which I have used here. If the potatoes are boiled in advance, then the filling comes together very fast. HD totally loved it that he enjoyed two buns and immediately wrapped the rest and took it for his staff. They sent feedback that it was amazing, Alhamdulillah. So not always you need feedback from family on the food that you make, I feel outsiders are better at it. Off to this recipe…

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Malu Paan ~ Sri Lankan Fish Buns

Course Main

Cuisine Sri Lankan

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• FOR DOUGH:
• 3 cups flour + more
• 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 25 gm butter melted
• Warm water as required I used around a cup
• 1 small egg for brushing
• FOR FILLING:
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 pods garlic minced
• 1 sprig curry leaves minced
• 1 large onion minced
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder I used Madras curry powder
• 300 gm potato boiled and mashed roughly
• 170 gm can tuna
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and lukewarm water and knead till you have a soft dough, a little sticky is OK. Add more flour if needed. I used almost 1/2 cup extra.
• Oil the bowl and leave the dough to double for an hour.
• Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat oil. Fry the garlic and curry leaves briefly. Add the onion and saute till wilted.
• Add the spice powders and cook for a minute. Add the mashed potato and the tuna. Break down with the spatula and mix well till done. Adjust seasoning and switch off.
• Prepare a large tray or two with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Once the dough has proofed, punch down the dough and divide into 8 balls. Divide the filling equally as well.
• Roll one ball into a round. Put one part of the filling and seal (as per above step by step). Press well and keep on the prepared tray. Complete the remaining in the same process. Cover and allow it to rise for around 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 degrees. Brush on top of the buns generously with the beaten egg.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Turn on the top grill and grill for 3-5 minutes till the top is browned. Take off, allow to cool slightly and enjoy with some ketchup.

The post Malu Paan ~ Sri Lankan Fish Buns appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.