Pomfret fry in Goan style

Recently we visited Goa and had Goan Pomfret fry in one of the shacks there. It was red hot spicy but I liked the inherent taste. I persuaded the manager to allow me to talk with the chef and he provided me the recipe of the same. It is the famous racheado masala of Goa which was customized and used by the chef. The main ingredient of it is coconut vinegar or Goa’s own wine – Feni. Back home I prepared my own masala which is not so spicy and make the Pomfret fry which was a hit among my family. The following is how I prepared this delicious dish.

Preparation Time: - 45 min

Cooking Time: - 25 min

Servings: - 1~2 persons

Ingredients:- 

1. 400 gm Pomfret fish
   
2. 1 tbsp Vinegar
3. 1 tbsp Lemon juice
4. ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
5. 2 Green Chili + 2 whole Red Chili (optional – I used 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder)
6. ½ tsp Cumin seeds
7. 5~6 cloves of Garlic
8. 1 inch fresh Ginger
9. 4~5 cloves
10. ¾ inch Cinnamon Stick
11. 4~5 black pepper corns
12. Few coriander leaves
13. 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (optional – I like the smell)
14. ½ tsp Sugar
15. 4 tbsp vegetable oil ( I used Sunflower oil)
16. Salt to taste.

Preparation:-

1. Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, pat dry them.
2. Make horizontal slits on both sides of the fish with a sharp knife. You can make diagonal slits also. This is done so that the spices go inside the fish and the taste is enhanced.
3. Rub lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 30 min.
   
4. Now prepare the spices mix with cumin seeds, garlic, green and whole red chillies ( I used 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder as I was preparing for kids as well), black peppercorns, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and salt. Put the mixture in a grinder and grind it for 1 minute. You may need to use a little water to make a smooth paste.
   
5. Marinate the fish with this masala paste rubbed thoroughly on both sides and inside. Keep it for about 15 min.
   
6. Heat any vegetable oil in kadai or non-stick pan in high heat.
7. Shallow fry both sides of the fish till they turn golden brown. Since my pan was small I did it one by one.
   
   
   
   
8. Garnish with lemon slices and coriander leaves. You can use rings of onion even.

Serve this starter with the sauce of your choice or mayonnaise.
 

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Alu posto - Bengali potato curry with poppy seeds

Recently one of my friends point out that I missed the most popular vegetarian recipe of Bengal in my blog. Aloo Posto or Bengali potato curry with poppy seeds is a comfort food for every Bengali. This is an excellent example of how a simple food with few ingredients can be very popular and tasty. Posto or Poppy-Seeds or KhasKhas is a popular ingredient for several dishes in Bengal, particularly in the districts of Bankura, Birbhum and Burdwan etc. Each of the districts of West Bengal has its unique way to prepare this dish. I have described here the way I prepare it every day. May be in future I will post another way of preparing the same.

Preparation Time: - 30 min

Cooking Time: - 30~35 min

Servings: - 3~4 persons

Ingredients:- 

1. 4 medium Potatoes
2. 4 tbsp Poppy seeds / KhusKus / Posto
3. 3 slitted Green Chili ( you can use more if your taste permits )
4. 1 tsp Paanchforon / Black Jeera – I prefer Paanchforon (Bengali five spices)
5. 3 tbsp Mustard oil – It gives the aroma of authentic Bengali preparation but you can use any vegetable oil
6. Pinch of Turmeric powder
7. Salt and sugar to taste. Sugar is optional and I do not prefer it.

Preparation:-

1. Soak the poppy seeds in water for 30 min.
   
2. Peel and cut the potatoes in approximately ½ inch cubes. Soak in water for sometime so that they do not discolor.
   
3. If you have a Sil Nora then use it to make a paste from the poppy seeds. You can use a food processor or dry container of mixer grinder to do the same. Use little water to make the paste a smooth one. If you are spice lover you can put a green chili in the blender with poppy seeds. You can add a pinch of salt also.
   
4. Heat mustard or vegetable oil in kadai or non-stick pan in high heat.
5. Add paanchforon in the oil along with a slited green chili.
   
6. When the spices splutter turn the burner to medium flame and add the potatoes.
7. Add pinch of salt and turmeric powder to the potatoes and sauté for 5 min to slightly soften them. Be cautious not to deep fry the potatoes.
   
8. Pour the poppy seeds paste and add one more green chili.
9. Mix well and continue cooking in low heat so that the poppy seeds paste uniformly covers the potatoes. You can add sugar here if you want.
   
10. Add 1 cup of water and continue cooking with the lid ON for about 15 minutes till the potatoes are well done.
    
11. You can adjust the gravy according to your preference.
    
12.  To follow the traditional way of Bengali cooking you can sprinkle 1 tbsp of mustard oil just before turning the burner off.
    

Now your delicious alu posto is ready to serve your taste-bud. Oh! I can smell the pungent yet tempting aroma of it.

Serve this with plain rice and any Lentil. I also prefer it with Brinjal fry and fish curry.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Zomato Restaurant Review - Pizza Hut, Frazer Town

 

Few years back, we used to live near this Restaurant and frequently visit the same. But when I went there last week I was surprised to find that the premise has shrinked and they are now only in the first floor, quite congested. The menu is as good as other Pizza hut joints and to our relief the taste was not changed. We always enjoyed the Mojitos and this time also the Litchi one was awsome. The combo meal for two was priced ok and the garlic bread portions were good. My son is a Pizza Lover and he enjoyed every bite of it. The service was ordinary and the credit card machines were pathetic - it took 20 min to finally accept our card. Overall the experience was not very good but Pizzas are tasty. Hence the rating is 3.5. Few photos follow:-

Zomato Restaurant Review - Herbs & Spices, Whitefield

 

This is a unique restaurant with a wonderful ambience. This is one bungalow and farm converted into a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor sitting arrangement. Finding such a quiet place amid natural ambience is literally impossible in busy IT hub of Whitefield area. If you want to enjoy a drinks or two with contnental cuisine then this is the place for you. Though there are Indian dishes available but they are no more than ordinary taste and also variety is absent. But the same cannot be said for their continental menu which is quite exhaustive and the taste is authentic. We started with Thai Pumpkin soup with chicken and even my mother-in-law liked it. It was well complimented with Hickory smoked BBQ wings and creole seasoned fish finger. The main dish we ordered was of Italian Chicken Lasagne which is quite filling and wonderfully tasty. We also ordered a Indian side dish Methi Chicken with Resmi Murgh Pulao - here the methi chicken was tasty but Pulao is more like a ordinary Biriyani.  Two other dishes are worth mentioning which my friends ordered - Jumbo shrimps and sauteed Kalamari. They are both exquisitely prepared with fresh ingredients and spices. Vegetarians will be disappointed here as they do not have much veg choices. There is an Indian lunch buffet but the food is not so good. The service is quick and well responsive. Overall a 4.2 out of 5 for me. Few photos below illustrates the ambience.