Fish With Bell Peppers

Looks like fish is back on the menu, every fish & chip shop seems to have queue's every Friday night. With a vast amount of health benefits, it doesn't seem like slowing down. Even in Indian cooking, fish has increasingly become popular, such dishes like Salmon Tikka and Fish Pokara's showing up in more never before seen menus. 

Though being a curry lover, I always need mine spiced up, this next recipe is quick, easy and delicious! Fish marinated with spices, herbs, onions, bell peppers, slowly cooked to produce a natural fish sauce.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

600gms white fish fillets, cut in half or used whole

1tbsp fresh garlic crushed

1tbsp fresh ginger crushed

2 fresh red chillies finely chopped

3tbsp fresh lemon juice

1tsp garam masala

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp paprika powder

½tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

6tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion finely sliced

1 green bell pepper, finely sliced

1 red bell pepper finely sliced

2tbsp coriander leaves & sprigs finely chopped

4 spring onions, finely sliced

3tbsp fresh lemon juice

MARINADE

First of all take the fish and place on a plate, squeeze around two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice over, cover and place in a cool place or the fridge for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add the garlic, ginger, chillies, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 4tbsp of olive oil, whisk together.

Then add all the dry spices including the salt and whisk to form a paste.

Cut the fish into halves if preferred and place into the marinade, mix well using your hands.

 

Add the sliced onions, bell peppers, spring onions, coriander and mix well into the fish marinade gently using your hands. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

COOKING

In a large deep frying pan with handle & lid, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat.  Add the fish mixture into the pan and gently shake so the mixture is spread evenly across the pan.

 Bring the fish to simmer and then cover with a lid, occasionally shaking the pan gently or probing with a wooden spoon, for around 15-20 minutes, until cooked.

My Fish With Bell Peppers

Served on it's own, or complimented with roasted new potatoes and a salad of your choice and not forgetting a good glass of white vino. Bon Appetite....

The Sacred Plant

Tulsi Hindu Sacred Plant helping raise money for Great Ormond Street 

We at Patel Brothers would like to thank our local old age ladies who spend there on time and money growing the Tulsi plant for donation, in the summer months. 

Thank You. 

The Three Vital Ingredients



Finely chopped garlic, Indian green chillies and finely shredded ginger

With the influence of Indian & Chinese food in the west for the last 40 years we are using more and more garlic, ginger and chillies in our foods today, then ever before.

We want more chilli in our dishes or it seems to taste bland, more garlic in our sauces, shredded ginger in our soups, the uses are endless. Theses three ingredients bring a certain flavour, tang, texture and heat to our dishes bringing them alive. These three vital ingredients also carry substantial health. 

A curry is nothing without these three key ingredients, used chopped, pureed or grated; the amount is up to you. Many forms of garlic, ginger and chillies can be purchased from grocers today, in the form of pastes, pureed, frozen pastes, frozen whole pieces and dry powdered forms.

Insist on fresh garlic, ginger and chillies.

Sweetcorn in a Spicy Yogurt Curry

  

Ingredients

500gm sweetcorn  

3 medium onions chopped 

1tbsp fresh ginger, finely crushed

3-4 fresh green chillies finely chopped

4tbsp sunflower oil

500gm natural plain yogurt, whisked, add 300ml water & whisk again

2tsp cumin seeds

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp turmeric powder

3tbsp gram flour

2tsp salt

Preparation

Heat oil up in large pot on a medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and allow to crackle for 15 seconds. Add the onions, crushed ginger, fresh chillies and stir fry  until onions soften.  Remove pot from the heat, add the gram flour and stir  rapidly, once all flour has dissolved, pour in the yogurt       mixture, stir and put back on a low heat. Sprinkle in the dry spices and sweetcorn, stir in well and allow to simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Serve hot!

What to do with left over Rice?

Yesterdays Rice stir fried in olive oil, black cumin seeds, garlic, fresh green chillies, fresh coriander, ground turmeric, chilli powder and salt to taste

Hot Mixture

Garam Masala (Hot Mixture) is a blend of 5 to 7 different whole spices ground into a powder. It’s a key ingredient to Indian cooking and adds flavour and colour to any dish. People tend to sprinkle it over the dish, just at the end, though it can be used early in the cooking process. Available in all good Indian grocery shops, there are many brands and qualities to choose from or make it yourself at home.

I remember making one with around 20 different whole spices roasted in a large wok until fumes filled the kitchen, the smoke alarm went off and I couldn’t see what I was doing because my eyes were burning from the intoxicating incense! After the spices cooled down, I ground them in a coffee grinder, sieved and bottled to use in all my favourite dishes; believe me it was a potent mixture!

To make Garam Masala yourself, try this typical mixture, grind them in a coffee grinder until finely ground and use:

 1 tsp Black peppercorns

3 pcs Cassia Bark

1 tsp Cloves

2 Black Cardamoms (seeds only)

1 tsp Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tsp Black Cumin

3 pcs Whole Red Chilli

Raw Green Mangoes in Season

The sour stuff is back and pickle time is here, south Asian people just love the raw mango! Either pickles, chutney's or relishes the use of the raw mango is endless even Mango Curry, which know doubt my old man will be cooking up in the next few weeks is simply amazing!

Here's a few ideas for the Raw Green Mango, relishes that compliment various dishes throughout as well as for the barbecue season.

 Mango & Onion Relish Typically Gujarati style relish, sliced mangoes, sliced red onions, cumin seeds, chilli powder, a little jaggary and a pinch of salt are mixed together well and left to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Mango & Chilli Salad
Diced mangoes, red onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes, grated carrots, fresh coriander, chilli, lemon juice, pinch of ground cumin and salt. Again mixed together well, before allowing to chill for a few hours.

The Bitterest Vegetable of all......

Most of my friends won't go anywhere near the Karela (Bitter Gourd), as it is so bitter and tasteless that not even words can describe this pointless vegetable.

Or is it?

Believe it or not this pointless vegetable has the properties to control diabetes and is often bought by my customers for the extraction of it's juice. Only one knows how they drink the stuff! For more information on Karela & Diabetes click on Diabetes UK

My Gujrati Karela Sabzi

Ingredients

1kg fresh Karela sliced

4 medium white onions, finely sliced

5-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4-5 fresh green chillies, finely sliced

6tbsp sunflower oil

2tsp ajwain seeds (carom)

pinch of asafoetida

1tsp garam masala

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp pomegranate powder

1 ½ tsp salt

100gms jaggery

Serves 4-6

Preparation

In a fairly large pot, preferably one with a lid, heat up the oil on a low heat. Once hot add in the ajwain seeds and allow to crackle for 15 seconds, throw in the chopped garlic and sliced green chilles and stir fry for 1 minute.

 Add a pinch of asafoetida and straightaway throw in the sliced onions, karela, stir and cover with a lid, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in all the spices, jaggery, salt and stir well, cook for a further 5-10 minutes, serve hot with thin chapatti's.

Green Lentil Dal

A Selection Of Lentils & Beans

Through the years lentils and beans have increasingly become more and more popular throughout the west, especially amongst vegetarians, due to their nutritional value. From various types of lentils to making Indian dals or soups to a wide selection of beans used in salads or curried dishes, the uses are endless.

For those who have never cooked with lentils before, I cook with them all the time and recently tried a recipe with green lentils and was blown aware with the soft nutty, creamy texture. That I had to put this recipe up and recommend that vegetarians and non- vegetarians alike, get cooking!

Ingredients

500gm green lentils

2 medium onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 ½ inch piece ginger, finely sliced

2-3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

5 medium tomatoes, chopped

40gm fresh coriander finely chopped

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp chilli powder

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

½tsp ground white pepper

2tsp salt

6tbsp sunflower oil

½ juice of fresh yellow lemon 

Serves 4-6

Preparation

First of all, you will have to soak the lentils for upto 12 hours.  Use a big pot, a litre of water and cover with a lid.

Remove the water and add 750ml of fresh cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to one side.

In another large pan, heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot, throw in the, onions garlic, ginger, green chillies and saute until brown.

Throw in the fresh coriander and stir fry for a minute.

Add in the chopped tomatoes, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in all the dried spices, stir well and pour in the lentils and lemon juice. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Green Lentil Dall

Egg Bhurji - Spicy Scrambled Eggs

Egg Mince Masala (Egg Bhurji)

                                                             Ingredients                                        Serves 4-6

16 large eggs, slightly whipped

2 med onions, finely sliced

1tbsp garlic crushed

1tbsp ginger crushed

3-4 green chillies, finely chopped

1tbsp tomato puree

½ juice of a fresh lemon

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp garam masala

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground black pepper

8tbsp sunflower oil

1 ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Heat up the oil in a large non-stick pot, on a medium heat. Once hot add the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and stir fry until caramelised and slightly brown.

Pour in the eggs and keep stirring, using a wooden spoon. You don’t want the eggs to stick to the bottom of the pot, so make sure, you stir every part of the bottom and the sides. Keep breaking the cooked eggs, until they become a fine scrabble and all the egg has cooked.

Add the tomato puree, all the dried spices and lemon juice, stir well, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes before serving hot, ideally with Naan bread.

Sprinkle more lemon if required.