Jhinga fry Jhinga curry Jhinga Biryani

Back in the olden day when I was a kid (Man!!! that seems so long ago...well I am not that old you see. I am only 3 decades old) my dad used to have a friend who had shrimp farms. At one time in India or atleast in Andhra there was this craze about opening shrimp farms and exporting Tiger prawns to US and European countries.
              Anyway, my father's friends' farms were very profitable until one day there was a typhoon (Hurricane) and all this shrimp farms were destroyed
             Anyway, the point it, once or twice an year when they used to harvest these shrimps or prawns he would send us a bucket or about 3-4 Kilograms of fresh shrimp and for 2-3 days my mom would make every possible delicious dish with shrimp until we all will get tired of eating shrimp any more.
           Today I am going to b-log three of those recipes and and here is one more recipe the Jhinga Shami Kabab

Jhinga Fry (Amazing shrimp pan fry curry)

Fried Shrimp with Sliced Onions

Ingredients

1. 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deviened
2. 3-4 tablespoons oil
3. 1 medium red onion ground to paste
4. 2 cloves and 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
5. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin
7. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 green chillies slit
9. Few curry leaves (optional)

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cloves and cinnamon and curry leaves with using and fry for a couple of minutes. Add cumin and fry for 3 more minutes. Add onion paste and fry till it starts to become dark brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the other ingredients and stir to combine. Fry till the shrimp are cooked through 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or pulao

Jhinga Curry (Shrimp curry Indian style)
Ingredients

1. 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deviened
2. 3-4 tablespoons oil
3. 1 medium red onion sliced thin
4. 2 cloves and 1 inch cinnamon stick broken
5. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin
7. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 green chillies slit

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add cinnamon and cloves and green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp and fry for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer till the gravy thickens. garnish with cilantro and serve with rice, roti or Pulao or Zeera Rice

Shrimp Biryani (Rice and shrimp)

Jhinga Biryani

Ingredients

1. 2 cups rice cooked till they are half done
2. Shrimp curry cooked above
3. 1 medium onion sliced and deep fried till golden brown
4. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5. 2 tablespoons chopped mint, fresh squeezed lemon juice

In a oven safe dish, add rice topped with shrimp curry, topped with mint and cilantro and fried onions and lemon juice. Repeat the layers. Cover and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy

Gosht ke Semiyah

I had a make a quick breakfast. And Hubby dear would have very much liked Semiyah Upma. I could have also made some Puffed Rice Upma or Poha Upma . But I was not feeling like eating any of these. So I made one of my favourite breakfasts'- Gosht ke Semiyah.
              This breakfast or a quick evening snack works best if you have some left-over mutton curry (lamb curry). In my case some Onion Leek Corned Lamb

Gosht ke Semiyah (Wheat noodles cooked with lamb)

Gosh ke Semiyah

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cooked Onion-leek Corned Lamb (1 cup lamb curry)
2. 2 cups dry roasted vermicelli
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
4. 3 cups water

If you used lamb with bones for the lamb curry, shred the meat and remove the bones. if you have used boneless lamb, cut the pieces into further smaller pieces

In a pan add the curry or corned lamb curry and heat it. Add the water and bring to a boil and add salt. Add the vermicelli, cover and cook till the vermicelli gets cooked and the water evaporates. garnish with cilantro and serve with Indian pickles and Maggi Ketchup

Lamb curry (Khurma Gosht) with Coriander Rasam

There are a million ways or recipes when you search for Lamb khurma or curry recipes. This is my family's recipe and I am serving it with rice and a variation of Rasam today aka the Coriander Rasam. These curries go very well with Chapati or Roti or Indian bread
Lamb Curry 1(Lamb cooked with Indian Spices)

Lamb

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into bite size pieces
2. 1 medium large onion sliced fine
3. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
4. 2-3 tablespoons oil
5. 1 teaspoon each of chilly powder, coriander powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, garam masala powder, cumin powder
7. Use 2-3 cloves and 1-2 inch cinnamon stick if you don't have garam-masala powder

Wash the lamb pieces till water runs clear and then marinate with all the powder ingredients for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start to turn darm brown. Add spices and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add meat and fry for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cover the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Once the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till the excess water evaporates. Serve with rice or roti

Khurma Gosht (Spicy Lamb curry)
Ingredients:

1. 1 lb lamb cut into bite size pieces
2. 1 medium large onion sliced fine
3. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
4. 2-3 tablespoons oil
5. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, garam masala powder, cumin powder
7. Use 2-3 cloves and 1-2 inch cinnamon stick if you don't have garam-masala powder
8. 1/2 cup yogurt
9. 4-6 green chillies slit

Wash the lamb pieces till water runs clear and then marinate with all the powder ingredients and yogurt for 1/2 hour to 2 hours. In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start to turn darm brown. Add spices and ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add meat and fry for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and cover the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Once the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till the excess water evaporates. Serve with rice or roti

Coriander Rasam (Tamarind soup with Coriander Powder)

Kothimeera Chaaru

Ingredients:

1. 1 lime sized tamarind
2. 4 cups of water
3. 1 tablespoon coriander powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon of salt
5. 1/4 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds
6. Few curry leaves and 3 red chillies broken
7. 1 tablespoon oil  
8. Cilantro for garnishing

In a pot add the tamarind along with water, salt, turmeric and coriander powder and bring to a boil. Let it boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds for a minute. Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry for 3-4 minutes. Cut the heat, and add this temepring to the tamarind water and bring to a boil. Boil again for 5 minutes, garnish with cilantro and serve

Onion leeks corned lamb with Mushroom Peas rice

I am running a little low on supplies but I am feeling under the weather and don't want to go shopping. That means I would have to improvise and cook with whatever is on hand. It being Sunday, something special is expected.
               So I searched high and low in my Pantry and found a can of Corned Lamb and decided I would make sometihng out of it. And voila...the simplest most flavourful dish...Onion leeks Corned Lamb and to go with it I made Chicken flavoured rice with Mushrooms and Peas and also on the side I had Steamed Cabbage. So here are the recipes. Hope you will make and enjoy them too

Onion Leek Corned Lamb (Simple canned Corned lamb stirfry with onions and leeks)

Onion Leek corned Lamb

Ingredients:

1. 1 can corned lamb (If possible, drained off excess fat)
2. 1 medium white onion sliced
3. 1 large or 2 medium leeks sliced
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of grated gralic, salt, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning
6. 1/4 cup fresh parley or 1 tablespoon dried Parsley chopped

In a non-stick pan heat the oil and fry the onions and leeks till tender. Add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and break the corned lamb. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot

Mushroom and Peas Ri-celli

Mushroom Peas Rice and Vermicelli

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice
2. 1/2 cup Vermicelli or, rice noodles or thin spegetti cut into1-11/2 inch pieces
3. 1/2 tablespoon butter
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 cup chopped mushrooms
6. 1/2 cup peas
7. 3 cups chicken broth

In a pot heat the oil and butter and fry the rice and vermicelli till they get toasted and become light brown. Move the rice to a side and fry the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add peas, stir to combine and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve

Steamed Cabbage

Steamed Cabbage

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium cabbage cut into quarters or 6 pieces snd leaves separated
2. Water in a large crockpot boiled
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1/4 teaspoon celery salt and fresh ground pepper (Optional)

Bring the water to a boil and add salt. Put a slotted dish on it and lay cabbage on it and cover and steam for 10 minutes (I have a microwave steamer which I got form a chicnese store). Sprinkle with salt and pepper with desired and serve

Bharwan bhindi aur Aalu Khatta

Its been ages that I got some fresh Okra (Lady Fingers in India) form the market. This is because it is soooo convenient to just get pre-cut frozen okra. Thaw them and cook them rather than sit and cut every one of them. But I have been thinking of making this bharwan bhindi for a long time and today finally I got to the point of making it and they were yummy

                 And ofcourse , if you are making something dry you need to make some Khatta or gravy to go with it and rice. So I made Aalu ka khatta. I have never ever heard about this dish but I made it and it was delicious, courtesy a vegetarian cook book my mom gave to me

Bharahuwa Bhindi (Okra with spicy stuffing)

Stuffed Okra

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 ln fresh okra tops chopped (about 15-20 okra)
2. 2-3 tablespoons oil

For stuffing:

1. 1 heaped tablespoon besan (chikpea powder)
2. 1 teaspoon each of sesame seeds, peanuts
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, red chilly flakes, salt
4. 1 tablespoon desicated coconut

Dry roast all the ingredients separately. Even the besan needs to be roasted until it gets a little darker. Grind peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin and coconut into not so smooth powder. Mix all the other ingredients and get the stuffing ready
Wash the okra and pat dry and cut the tops off. Slit the okra and remove some of the seeds with your finger or with the back of a spoon and stuff the stuffing. Heat the oil in a pan and lay the okra in a single layer, cover and fry on heat setting 3 or medium-low heat for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the okra and after 5 more minutes turn it again. Spinkle little salt on the okra and serve with white rice and Sour Potato gravy

*Save the extra stuffing, if left over. It tastes great on an fry


Aalu khatta (Potato cooked in Tamarind juice)

Aalu khatta

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes or small potatoes boiled
2. 1/4-1/3 cup sliced red onions
3. 3 cups juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
4. 1/4 teaspoon cumin
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric
6. 1 teaspoon brown sugar or jagery
7. 1-2 tablespoons oil
8. 2 green chillies slit

Boil the potatoes and if using fingerling potatoes scrub the skin and poke holes using a fork. Otherwise cut the potatoes into quarters 11/2-2 inches long and poke holes after peeling the skin.
In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin till they turn dark. Add onions and fry till they start changing color. Add green chillies and potatoes and fry for 5-7 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add sugar and simmer further uncovered for 5 minutes or more till the gravy becomes a bit thick. Garnish with cilantro and serve

Fish soup with Rice Ovalettes and Garlic bread

Its been some time that I made any soups and I wanted to have soup today. Chowder actually (the difference...Soup is broth based Chowder is thick cream based) . So...the search began for the perfect recipe.
This happens all the time. I search for the perfect recipe and I end up making my own dish with whatever ingredients are on hand. And again this soup-der (Cause the consistency was somewhere between a soup and a chowder) turned out to be so excellent everyone ate two bowls

Frozen Rice Oavlettes

                    The recipe will serve 4-6 people

Fish soup with Rice Ovalettes

Fish soup with Rice Ovalettes

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 package or about 2 cups rice ovalettes cut into half (soaked in water for an hour)
2. 4 boneless skinless fillets of Tilapia (or any other mild flavoured fish)
3. 1 medium or 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion
4. 3 small or about 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
5. 3 stalks of celery finely chopped
6. 1 small can corn kernels drained
7. 1/2 cup forzen spinach thawed (optional)
8. 4 cups of chicken broth
9. 1 cup milk
10. 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
11. 1/2 teaspoon or to taste salt
12. 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (or regular pepper), celery salt (or regular salt
13. 1/2 teaspoon each of pepper, garlic powder
14. 1 tablespoon each of butter, olive oil

Chop the fish into bite size pieces and marinate with lemon pepper, garlic powder and celery salt for 10-15 minutes. In a pot, heat the oil and butter and fry the onions till they turn translucent. Add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Add carrots, celery and spinach and fry for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add rice ovalettes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add all the other ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer on low flame for 5-7 minutes. Serve hot as is or with garlic bread smothered with fresh garlic butter

Garlic butter

Lemon Garlic butter log

Ingredients:

1. 1 bar good quality butter (1/2 cup) (my favorite is Danish Creamery butter) at room temperature
2. 2 big or 4 small garlic pods minced (about 3/4 teaspoon)
3. 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper
4. 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped fine
5. 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Stir all the ingredients together till well blended. Wrap in a plastic wrap in the form of a log and store in the refrigerator. To use cut the log into slices and spread on toasted french bread

Bagara Turai aur Tarkari Khatta

One of my favorite vegetables is Ridge gourd (Turai, Beerakaaya, Peerkankai, Shirala etc etc) but only if you know how to cook it. Sometimes this vegetable is a little bitter and you need to taste it and discard some piece of it and the rest will be good. But I know one person who doesn't do this and let me tell you, there is nothing worse than a bitter ridge gourd curry

                 I made the simplest and most flavorful ridgegourd stir fry and to go with it I made khatta (meaning sour) with vegetables. This used to be a staple in those olden day (not so long ago that is...may be like 10 years ago) Muslim weddings in Andhra
                And I also fried some Appadam or pappadam or papad . This ofcourse, can be a low calorie snack if made in microwave

Bagara Turai (Ridge gourd stir fried)

Bagara Turai

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb Ridge gourd (peeled and save it to make chutney out of it)
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, chanadal (soaked in water for 10 minutes), salt, turmeric
4. 1 garlic pod chopped
5. 2 red chillies broken
6. few curry leaves

Peel the ridge gourd and taste the ends (Cut a small piece and put it in your mouth and chew, if it is bitter spit it, cut about an inch off the gourd and repeat, until you get to a good tasting part of the vegetable) (Unfortunately sometimes, the whole gourd is bitter)

Cut the gourd into quarters and slice into1/8 or 1/6 inch thick (The curry will taste different if you cut it differently, so cut it in this way PLEASE)

Turai ke tukde

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, urad dal, chanadal and mustard seeds for 3 minutes. Add red chillies, garlic and curry leaves and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add turai pieces and stir. Cover and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Simmer uncovered till all the water escapes and the fry gets really dry and oil floats. Serve

Tarkari Khatta (Vegetables in Tamarind juice)

Sweet potato khatta

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 Indian Eggplant chopped rough
2. 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes chopped
3. 1/2 cup sliced red onions
4. 1 medium small sweet potato boiled (This is the star ingredient)
5. 2 cups of juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt, turmeric
7. 1 green chilly sliced
8. 1/4-1/3 teaspoon red chilly powder
9. 1 tablespoon oil

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add tomatoes and eggplant and fry for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except sweet potato and boil for 3 whistles. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker and add 1/2 inch slices of sweet potato and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with white rice

Use the Peel of the ridge gourd to make Ridge gourd peel chutney

Star papad