Rawa Fish Fry/ Rawa masala : Fish coated with cream of wheat and shallow fried.

We Mangaloreans love our fish! May be because we live in a coastal region. 😊 I am specially partial to fried fish. We fry our fish several different ways. We fry it plain with just the spicy marination, or coat it with a spicy masala and dip it in rice flour and fry it. We also dip the marinated fish in rava or cream of wheat and fry it when it is called Rawa fry!! I love the texture that you get with rawa fry. If you are gluten free, you can use corn meal instead of rawa. You get the same result.

The rawa fry can be a tawa fry ( pan fried), can be deep fried or shallow fried! I like to tawa fry it or shallow fry it for 2 reasons: a) it is healthier than deep-fried. b) the rawa does not drop off into the oil and get burnt.

Either ways, it is very easy to make. You can do this with any kind of fish. I have used tilapia. It works great with King fish, mackerel, porgy, pretty much any fish! You can use fillets it steaks. It makes a great combination with rice and Dali thoy ( dal) or rasam or with just plain rice kanji ( rice porridge).
Try it for yourself!!

Prep time: 10 mins + atleast 15 mins marination timeCook time: 10 mins
Total time: 35 mins

Servings : 2

Ingredients:

Tilapia pieces : 2 big ones

1/4 cup Oil: for frying ( can use more if needed).
Onion rings: 6-8,for garnish
Lemon wedges: 2, for garnish

For marination:

Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp ( I use Kashmiri chilli powder as it is not too spicy and give a nice red color).
Turmeric powder ( haldi): 1 tbsp
Asofoetida ( hing)powder: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Water: to make a paste
Rawa /sooji( cream of wheat) or cornmeal: 4 tbsp

Method:

Clean the fish pieces and keep aside.

In a bowl mix together red chilli powder, salt, haldi, hing, lemon juice and water to make a nice thick paste.

Apply this liberally to the fish pieces and keep aside for atleast 20-30 minutes.

Heat  oil in a frying pan on medium flame.

Take the rawa/sooji in a plate. Dip the fish in it so that the rawa coats it completely on all sides.

When the oil is slightly sizzling,  place the fish steaks in the oil and let it cook on medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes on one side. 

Now flip it and cook for 5-6 more minutes on low heat.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges. 

You can also serve it as a side with rice, dal and other accompaniments to make a complete meal.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday #179! Her cohosts this week are Petra @ Food Eat Love and Laura @ Feast Wisely. If you have never been to one of her fiesta's, you should..it is tons of fun!

Cooking made easy:

Whenever you fry something, make sure that the oil is not too hot or cold when you drop the fish in it. If the oil is too hot, the fish will get burnt and if the oil is not hot enough, the fish will absorb too much oil and become oily! To check the temperature of the oil, drop into oil a drop of the marinade or batter. It should float right up to the surface of the oil. If it sinks, the oil is not hot enough.

Tip for healthy living:

Using minimal oil while cooking greatly reduces the total fat ingested by the body on a given day. Also using healthier oils that are meant to sustain high heats like coconut oil, mustard oil, sesame oil is healthier.
Some oils are not meant to be heated! They lose their nutritional value upon heating!

Food for thought:

If a plan doesn't work, change it. Don't change the goal. Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Mango Salsa; Meatless Monday

I believe I am a true mango lover! I love mangoes in all shapes and forms: raw, ripe, cut, curried, juiced... Pretty much anything.Check out  some of my mango recipes on my blog: During summer it is nice not to slave at the stove, to sit down on the terrace in the evening and enjoy the view. I made this mango salsa the other day to go with some leftover tortilla chips. This is very simple and easy to make and will vanish right in front of you. It is a perfect dish for your table during BBQ parties or to bring it to one. 

Do try it before mango season is done!

Servings: 3-4

Prep time: 5-10 mins Cook time: 0Total time: 5-10 mins

Ingredients: 

Ripe Mango, chopped : 2 cups

Onion, finely chopped: 1/4 cup

Chopped Bell pepper/capsicum: 1/4 cup. 

Tomato, chopped fine: 1/2 cup

Green chilli: 1 small, finely chopped( you may deseed the chilli if you don't want it to be spicy).

Cilantro, finely chopped: 2 tbsp

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp, can be adjusted based on taste.

Sea salt: 1/8 tsp

Honey: 1/2 tsp

Method: 

Add all the above ingredients to a bowl. Mix thoroughly. 

Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Serve chilled. 
Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday #179! Her cohosts this week are Petra @ Food Eat Love and Laura @ Feast Wisely. 

Cooking made easy: 

If you have a party, you can make salsa like this the day before so that you are not stressed on the day of. 

You can vary the amount of lemon juice and honey based on how sweet the mango is and how you like your salsa: more sweet or more tangy. 

Tip for healthy living:

Freshly made salsas are much better than store bought ones. Use produce that is in season for the salsa. These are much fresher than produce that is not in season. 

Food for thought:

If you do wrong and try to prove you are right, TIME will smile at your foolishness. 

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Authentic Mexican Guacamole ; Meatless Monday

Guys, spring is here!!! Even though it does not feel like spring at times...But not to despair!! It will get warm soon enough! We have to now get our bodies ready for summer!!

We are always on the look out for healthy snacks: snacks that are not processed, low in calories and replenishes & rejuvenates the body. One such snack is Guacamole. Made out of ripe avocados, they are filling,nutritious  and flavorful and cooling! Avocados are known as butter fruit in India. 

There are many versions of guacamole. Some make it chunky, some smooth, some add tomatoes and garlic while others don't. I have the good fortune of working with quite a few Hispanics and therefore learn authentic Hispanic dishes. This particular version of guacamole comes from a coworker of mine. I first tasted her guacamole at a workplace event that we had and the foodie in me was impressed to say the least. I loved the freshness of the guacamole and that there was no overpowering taste of one single ingredient. I had to have the recipe.

 She was kind enough to share it with me. I love the ease of making this guacamole with no food processor or blender needed. I use my stone pestle and mortar to make it. This recipe also requires only 6 ingredients including the avocado! Since making this version, I have not made any other.. I like to eat it as a dip with quinoa chips, quesadilla and as a topping on my sandwich or in my wrap.

Today, I am sharing this delicious recipe with you.

Servings: 3-4

Prep time: 8-10 mins

Cook time: 0 mins

Total time: 8-10 mins

Ingredients:

Avocado: 1 large, ripe
White Onion: 1/2 small, diced fine
Serrano pepper: 1, small, deseeded & deveined.
Lime Juice: from 1 small lime.
Cilantro: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt: to taste

Method:

Deseed the Serrano pepper and chop it finely. Add it to a bowl.

Slice the avocado into 2. Remove the seed. 

Using a spoon, scoop it from the peel. Dice it into medium sized cubes. Add it to the bowl.

Add lime/lemon juice to the avocado and mix immediately. Otherwise the avocado will discolor.

Now add the chopped onion, finely chopped cilantro, and salt to the bowl.

Mix well. Mash the mixture gently to get the desired consistency.

Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Preferably serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

One of the problems of avocado is that it turns black. This can be prevented by the addition of lime or lemon juice and also by leaving the seed in the guacamole. The guacamole with remain green even the next day!!

Tip for healthy living:

Eating low calorie dips made using naturally occurring foods like avocado is much better than the high fat and calorie dips that use sour cream, cheese and mayonnaise as a base!

Food for thought:

To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. Buddha

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-ups

Hello Everyone!!
Happy Friday! I am super-excited as I am co-hosting Angie's Fiesta Friday this week! My other co-host is the very talented Andrea @ Cooking with a Wallflower. Check out her blog for all the delicious recipes! Also, come join the Fiesta Friday and showcase your talent if you have not partied there before! It is one of my absolutely favorite things to do on Fridays!

How many of you are familiar with Lasagna?? Almost all of you?? How many of you hate making it because of the amount of work it entails?? Well, I have to admit that I am one of them too.. Would it make you happy if I showed you something easier to make and serve that is absolutely delicious!

Now how many of you have heard of Lasagna Roll-Ups?? Not too many of you? Well, this is a very easy dish to make that uses the same ingredients as lasagna. It can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator or freezer and popped into the oven slightly before your guests arrive!

This is a dish that can be served as a main dish or an appetizer. This is something that would be perfect for the Super Bowl party! These are little bites that are filling! You could make this using the regular pasta sheets or the oven-ready pasta sheets. I have made it healthier by making it vegetarian and using low fat ricotta cheese and low fat mozzarella. This has in no way compromised the taste. It is still hearty and delicious!!

This recipe has been modified from Ree Drummond's Recipe. You can check the original recipe here.

Servings: makes 12 roll-ups (about 6-8 servings)

Prep time: 20-30 minsCook time: 30-45 minsTotal time: 50- 75 mins

Ingredients:

Lasagna sheets : 1 packet ( I used oven ready sheets)
Water: to cook the lasagna sheets
Salt: 1 tsp
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Grated Mozzarella cheese: 2 cups

For the red sauce:

Pasta sauce: 1 jar  (  24 oz, Any good quality)
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Diced Bell peppers, different colors: 2 cups .
Onion: 1 large, diced
Garlic: 3-4 cloves, chopped fine & crushed.
Italian herbs, dry: 1 tsp
Sriracha/ hot sauce: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp

For the cheese stuffing:

Ricotta cheese ( low fat): 1 jar ( 32 oz)
Egg: 1 large ( optional)
Italian herbs, dried : 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground.

Method:

Boil water in a large pot. Add salt, olive oil and lasagna sheets. Boil for 10 mins or until aldente. Remove the pasta sheets and arrange them on a baking sheet in such a way that they do not stick to each other. Keep aside.

While the water for the pasta is boiling, prepare the red sauce ( tomato sauce mixture).
In a wok or saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add crushed, chopped garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add the diced onion. Sauté until the onion starts to sweat and wilt.

Add the diced bell peppers. Sauté for 2 mins. Add the tomato sauce, hot sauce, Italian herbs, salt and sugar. Simmer and let it boil for 5 mins. Turn off the flame and keep aside.

While the tomato sauce is simmering and the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a bowl, take the ricotta cheese, egg, herbs, salt, pepper and mix together. Mix well using a spoon.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F or 180 deg Celsius.

Take a 13x9 dish. Spread a little tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish.

Take a pasta sheet. Spread 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture on side of the pasta sheet as shown in the picture.

Now roll it into a tight roll as shown in the picture. Place the roll seam side down in the prepared pan.

Do the same with all the 12 pasta sheets.

Now pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture on top of the rolls and cover the rolls.

Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top evenly.

Place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 350 deg F for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pan is bubbly.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

To prevent the cheese from getting brown, bake with the tray covered for the first 15 mins and uncovered for the last 15 mins.

Tip for healthy living:

Converting a non-vegetarian dish into a vegetarian dish automatically makes it healthier due to the lower fat and calorie content. Using low fat cheese instead of whole milk cheese further reduces the calorie content of the meal. These kinds of hacks makes it possible to enjoy a meal without feeling depraved!!

Food for thought:

Too clever is dumb. Ogden Nash

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Pineapple Chicken Kebabs with Sumac

When Angie announced the Healthy Recipe Challenge, I was intrigued. When I looked at the ingredients that she wanted to be used in the recipe, I scratched my head. Greens and pineapple in one recipe!! I couldn't resist the challenge! I was making some Sumac chicken kebabs with vegetables for lunch. I figured I will throw in the pineapple with it & serve the kebabs on a bed of baby greens. Who could resist a platter like that??

During my recent visit to the grocery store, I came across Sumac. This is a spice that I have known through Elaine and other friends here at Fiesta Friday. I have been waiting to try it for a long time now. While we all love grilled vegetables, I was positive that grilled pineapple would taste delicious. And it turned out to be delicious!  Together with sumac, it was an irresistable combination! We ate the kebabs served on a bed of baby greens for lunch and ate the leftovers served with Pineapple Couscous Baby Greens Salad for dinner!! 

This is a very easy recipe that would be perfect for weeknight dinners , as appetizers or sides for parties! Super Bowl is next weekend guys!! You can prep, marinate and keep everything ready in the refrigerator ahead of time, and throw it on the grill or in the oven a few minutes before your guests arrive! Voila! Delicious kebabs ready in minutes!!

Servings: 2

Prep time: 45 mins ( including marination) 

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast: 1 lb, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp+ 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Sumac: 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Italian herbs ( dry): 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Bell peppers: 2 ( different colors), diced big.
Cherry tomatoes: 10 ( may not need all)
Red onion: 1, diced big and petals separated.
Pineapple pieces: 1 cup
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Baby greens: 1 & 1/2  cups

Method:

Clean and marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, lemon juice, Italian herbs & sumac, for at least 30 mins.

In a bowl, take the bell peppers, diced onion, cherry tomatoes and pineapple pieces . Add olive oil, a pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, a little sumac and Italian herbs.

Set the oven on broil and preheat it.

Take a skewer and arrange the veggies and chicken pieces as you wish and the amount that you want.

Arrange it on a baking/grilling tray. Place the tray in the broiler and cook the chicken and vegetables for 14-16 minutes or until the chicken is cooked  thoroughly and to desired tenderness.

Divide the baby greens equally on two serving plates. Arrange the skewers on the bed of baby greens. Just before serving, sprinkle a little more sumac on the skewers.

Can be served with cilantro/ mint chutney.

Serve hot!

Enjoy! 

Apart from linking to the Fiesta Friday Healthy Recipe challenge, I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #156 and Saucy Saturdays.

Cooling made easy:

The kebabs can be grilled on a outdoor grill, on a stove-top grill or even baked at 400 deg F or 200 deg Celsius on the middle rack of the oven. If you don't have steel skewers, you can use bamboo skewers, but make sure that you soak the skewers in water for sometime before using.

Tip for healthy living:

Grilling or broiling is a much healthier option for frying chicken or vegetables. It is low in calories and pretty much fat free!

Food for thought:

Think before you leap! Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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