Vietnamese Summer Rolls: Light and Fresh

It’s 38°C! I’m almost tempted to break and egg on the pavement and see if it gets cooked! My house feels like a mini sauna and I have officially stopped wearing pants at home. (I wear cotton dresses - go wash your dirty brains :P). So it goes without saying that summer is here! Which is both a boon and a curse depending on which part of the world you live in. I, for instance live in a city that has salubrious climate for 80% of the year so any extremes in temperature is treated with great disdain. (Yes, Bangaloreans are spoilt that way!). Every year we just whine and crib till the first showers of April hit the sands and then we whine and crib that it’s monsoon already. This year is no different except that I learnt how to make some Vietnamese Summer Rolls. It’s fresh, light and all kinds of colorful. Just what summer should be? 

This recipe is more about getting your mise en place and rolling technique right. Once you master than, you can churn out a gazillion of these with a flick of the wrist. (Ok, as usual I’m exaggerating, but you get the drift no?). Also since it’s a fresh roll, its best prepared and served just in time to eat. It doesn’t lower the temperature or anything, but I assure you summer will be more bearable – at least while you’re eating it!

Pathway to Heaven with Bacon Wrapped Prawns

There are many pathways to heaven they say. With most ending with some bearded gentleman manning the pearly gates. (Or in my case a portly gentleman sitting on a Buffalo who has a really long ledger of life events). And you would have to be good and do good and all that jazz to really even be considered for a chance to get there. Then steps in bureaucracy, where they make you wait at the gates (in a queue mind you…) before they proceed to check your files and then certify your eligibility to enter. Why, some may even be turned away due to a totally negligible mistake (Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, apparently!). So the chances to enter heaven for people like us are slim to none.

Since the final destination seems like a distant dream, are we to moan and groan about its inaccessibility? Hell No! (Oops… swearing I’m sure is not allowed. Especially when it involves Heaven’s direct competitor!). So again, you see the chances are really-really teeny-weeny. As I am a doer not a cribber, I have decided to create my own piece of heaven instead of waiting in line. It’s called Bacon wrapped Prawns. They come as a pair and are extremely adept at recreating the hallowed space. (You can thank me later for the cheat sheet). The gentlemen ‘above’ are welcome to some as well. After all, standing at the gates all day, can’t be that exciting :P

Fizzy Batter Fried Fish

Chemistry was an exciting subject in school – at least the part that required us to don lab coats and act like scientists. No matter that the only thing we were actually allowed to do, is heat some substances (washing soda/ copper sulphate) and note down the properties. I don’t want to give you the spiel about how recreating a recipe is nothing but chemistry, but in this case it’s true. I was supposed to use carbonated water or soda, in combination with soda bicarbonate powder to get the desired ‘fizziness’ to make the batter light and crispy. It’s anticlimactic that the actual reaction was nowhere near the explosion that I expected, but more of a tame bubble bath! But the end product was right as promised – crisp, light and almost see-through-lace like batter. Now that’s an experiment recipe worth repeating.

Chingri Malai Curry (Bengali Prawn and Coconut Curry)

Bengali food resonates with me on a deeper level even though I’m a pucca Southie. Maybe it’s the rice that bonds us (Bengali’s also eat rice with every meal!), or maybe my love for rosogullas and rasamalai’s have sweetened me towards them, or maybe it’s the fact that half the employees in my ex-company were Bengali! For whatever reason, I love Bengali food.

The one thing that I always order in a Bengali restaurant (apart from their gorgeous desserts) is Chingri Malai Curry. Chingri means Prawns and Coconut is used as the base in this curry to give it the quintessential creaminess. This is the mecca of what a curry should taste like for me – Rich, spicy-sweet and comforting. There is this little Bengali restaurant in Indiranagar that serves this curry in a Tender Coconut with the tail of the Prawn sticking out. Just seeing it makes my heat beat faster! The curry also has pieces of tender coconut in it that I love nibbling on. Though I don’t think that’s really the authentic way – but when it’s that yummy who cares right?  

I found this recipe on Hamaree Rasoi. And I know Deepashri Deb can only turn out an authentic curry - being Bengali and all… ;) I increased the amount of coconut milk and added a chilli for a bit of heat. Also please use fresh pressed coconut milk. The Dabur Homemade one just dosen’t cut it here. The flavor with fresh pressed coconut milk elevates this dish to the status it truly deserves. So here’s some Chingri Malai Curry for you. Eat it with some hot fluffy rice to find yourself floating in food heaven!

Souza Lobo (Calangute Beach, North Goa)

Like every self respecting yuppie Indian, who was exposed to the wonderland that is Goa at a young age, I come to consider it my second home. A Goan may frown upon this notion or ignore it altogether, but for me the feeling of belonging in Goa is so complete that, I in turn frown upon the ‘other’ tourists. So leaving this merry-go-around of who the state belongs to, let me get down to business to talk about one of my favorite places to eat while I’m there.

I generally avoid the Calangute side of the beach like the plague because it is so packed with tourists at any time of the year. Hordes and hordes of buses will dump their beach hungry populace there and to cater to their needs the area has become a densely populated commercial hub. But I must trudge my way through the fat man in a baniyan and the lady with the wailing kid and the beggars who plead with interesting British accents and the Romeo’s basking in their ditty underwear to reach the sand covered steps of solace that is Souza Lobo.

Souza Lobo has been around since 1932. (The restaurant, not the lady – bless her soul). By the number of locals as well as tourists who eat here, they seem to live up to their USP of ‘Traditional recipes live here’. They are open from 11am in the morning and continue dishing out succulent seafood and Goan delicacies till midnight. And if you intend to come during rush hour – be prepared to wait in their patio till your number is called out. No, Seriously. In the ten years that I have been coming here, I have spent considerable time and consumed innumerable drinks in the patio, waiting for my turn to eat. No Regrets! 

Singapore Black Pepper Prawns

Singapore’s most famous dish is undoubtedly the Chili Crab and the Black Pepper Prawns. When you walk down Clark Quay or Boat Quay you will find innumerable restaurants and street café’s serving up these super fiery dishes. The Chili crab is generally made with huge Sri Lankan crabs. If you put both your palms together, the crab will probably be larger than that! I’ve spent quite a bit of money on many many nights in Singapore digging into these critters! Another one of my favorites is the Black Pepper Prawns – buttery, peppery, hot awesomeness! They generally use Tiger Prawns for this with the tails (and sometimes the head on.) You yank the head off and start slurping down the sauce and the prawn meat, then finish by digging out whatever else in left in the tail. At the end of the night you have steam coming out of your ears and are sticking your tongue out and downing litres of beer but you can’t stop smiling, because it was so awesome! So here’s my little imitation black pepper prawns. I used medium prawns with the head and tail off. I cooked them skewered on a bamboo stick. This way it makes for an excellent appetizer or cocktail snack. Don’t expect your guests to behave themselves and eat just one skewer… they are irresistible!

Thai Fish Cakes with Coriander, Lime Mayo

I love fish cakes. Especially the ones made with Sear fish. Sear fish is a delicacy in South India and Sri Lanka and is generally the costliest fish in the market after Pomfret. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu it’s called “Vanjaram” and in Kerala its christened “Neimeen”. Some people also refer to them as king mackerels. I am partial to the seer, because a. it’s an ocean fish, b. it cooks beautifully in a curry or a fry, c. It’s isn’t riddled with too many bones, d. It’s so tasty! My mom-in-law makes the best fish cutlets (south Indian style with loads of masala!) and the co-resident can’t stop eating them. Since I can’t compete with the mother recipe, I din’t try to replicate it. Instead I found one that uses thai red curry paste to give a fantastic spin to the basic fishcake recipe. It’s really simple to make. You can even make the cakes in advance and refrigerate them, just pull out and fry before serving. Now isn’t that what we all strive to do? – reduce time in the kitchen and increase time actually savoring the dish! Though I guarantee this will get over the minute it hits the plate from the frying pan. Kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan! (That’s Bon Appétit in Thai :P)

Thai Fish Cakes

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooling time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Makes: 8

What you need:

100 gms Sear fish fillet (poached)/ 100gms can of flaked Tuna

2 Tbsp Thai red Curry paste (I used Real Thai)

1 tsp Vegetable Oil

¾ cup chopped Spring Onion

2 Medium Potatoes (skinned, boiled and mashed)

1 cup fresh Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

To serve:

½ cup Mayo

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

What to do:

Poaching the fish: Place the sear fish in a saucepan and pour just enough water to cover the fish.  Season with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 7-8 minutes or until center is opaque and fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Remove fish with slotted spatula. Keep aside. (If you are using a can of tuna, then you can omit this step).

Remove bones from fillet. (there is generally just one big bone). Flake the fish into a big bowl. Fry the thai red curry paste in a teaspoon of oil for 3 mins. Add the paste, spring onions, potatoes and bread crumbs to the fish. Combine gently to bring the ingredients together. Divide into 8 portions and shape into flat, round cakes. Chill for 30 mins.

Meanwhile combine the mayo, cilantro and lime. Season with salt and a dash of black pepper. Chill in the refrigerator.

Now fry the fish cakes in oil, over a medium heat until crisp and golden. (Medium heat is important otherwise the outside will burn while the inside remains uncooked). Drain on a paper towel. Serve the hot fish cakes with the cool lime and coriander mayo. Fantastic!

Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Some days you are just so lazy that the only option to a fulfilling meal = a Maggi. I have no shame in admitting that the choice for a meal for one, when the co-resident is away is to shove my face with the noodles in front of the telly. Their byline does it for me – Ready in 2 minutes. It’s another matter that its 400 calories of zero nutrition! (I still love you though, my darling Maggi Noodles!) What can I say, old habits die hard! One sunny Saturday afternoon (that’s when laziness is at its peak), I reached into the store cupboard for my customary lazy meal when … Gasp! I had run out of Maggi. Now the paramount rule of laziness restricts me from getting dressed to go to the store down the road to buy one. So my brain had to think of an alternative which would be ready in two minutes. That’s when I made my Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich! (Well technically two minutes for the assembly, as I already had boiled eggs). Also this one packs in loads of the good stuff – salad leaves, eggs, tuna. A high protein healthy lunch, if you ever needed one! I can feel myself getting leaner already ;)

Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Prep time: 5 mins

Grilling time: 5 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

8 slices of Bread (use wholegrain, if you want to up the health quotient)

200 gms can of Tuna in water, drained

4 hard boiled Eggs, sliced

4 Tbsp Mayo

2 cups Mixed Salad leaves

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp white wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, close the lid and shake well until blended. Pour over the salad leaves and mix to combine.

Spread a Tbsp of Mayo on one slice. Place a generous quantity of salad on the other. Top with the tuna and egg slices. Season with salt and pepper. Sandwich together. Repeat for the other three sandwiches.

Lightly spray a heated grill pan with some oil and press the sandwich down for about a 45 seconds per side till it looks golden and toasty. Alternatively use a sandwich maker. Sit down to enjoy a happy meal!

Masala Fried Fish with Salad Nicoise-ish

If there is a French person reading this, I apologize for turning a perfectly authentic salad on its head. If there is a person on a diet reading this, I apologize for luring you in here with a salad and then saying it’s topped with ‘fried’ fish. The original recipe calls for tuna, which I replace with fried sear fish. (Go ahead and grill yours, if you want to be on the safe side of the scales). I also omit boiled green beans and add fried croutons instead for crunch. (Blasphemy, I know). At this stage you might understand why I called it ‘Nicoise-ish’. Should I have just called it ‘fusion food’? Or should I have called it ‘things I like to eat’? Like Shakespeare said, ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. Now, who are we mere mortals to argue with that kinda logic, right? It’s a fantastic meal in one and looks so freaking amazing. That said, I love this version of Salad Nicoise (Nee-sh-wah) more than the original! Gasp Gasp :P.

Masala Fried Fish with Salad Nicoise

Prep time: 15 mins

Marinating time: 1 hr

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

For the Masala fried fish:

4 steaks (400 gms) Sear Fish/ any white fish (1 inch thickness)

½ tsp Turmeric

2 Tbsp Chili Powder (or according to taste)

½ tsp Ginger Garlic paste

Salt

Oil for frying

For the Salad Nicoise:

1 big Cos Lettuce, (rinsed and well dried)torn into shreds

4 Tomatoes, chopped

3/4th cup sliced Black Olives

4 hard Boiled eggs

1 Onion, finely sliced

2 slices old bread, cut and fried into croutons (use the same oil as the fried fish for awesome flavour)

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp white wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

First of all, don’t be alarmed by the list of ingredients. It’s just assembly. Artful tossing together. Starting with the fried fish. Make a thick paste with turmeric, salt, ginger garlic paste and chili (add as much heat as you can take, but be advised that extra chili powder tends to blacken the fish and leave debris in the cooking oil). Marinate the fish steaks by rubbing the paste on both sides of the fish. Set aside. Add all the vinaigrette items into a bottle and give it a good shake till it looks like everything is homogenously incorporated. Keep cool in the fridge.

Heat oil to just below smoking point, put in the fish steaks and immediately lower the heat. Fry for 4 mins on each side. The extra masala will settle to the bottom of the pan. Drain and keep warm.

Wash the lettuce and pat the leaves dry. (Or use a salad drier). Toss in the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, onions, olives) accordingly. Toss over the vinaigrette (Approx. 1 Tbsp per plate), just before serving to avoid the lettuce leaves becoming limp. Divide among four plates with one boiled egg per person. Place the fried fish in the center and serve with pride. Dig in with absolute abandon!

Prawns in Garlic Butter

Like most seafood dishes this one is non fussy and just divine tasting. Well, the fate of anything doused in butter is sealed – the final result has to be Fantabulous! I use fresh prawns which I clean and devein myself… yes its fishy business, but somebody’s got to do it. Frozen prawns are fine as well, but it tends to be less juicy. Prawns can be just as easily substituted with mussels, lobster, crayfish or calamari. You can eat this as a starter or serve it on top of homemade fettuccine. Either way it’s a weekday winner. Well anything you can whip up in 10 minutes flat should be right??

Prawns in Butter Garlic
 
Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

400 gms Shrimp

4 Tbsp Butter

25-30 cloves Garlic

1 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

8-10 Peppercorns

A few sprigs Parsley

Salt (if needed)

What to do:

Wash and drain cleaned shrimps thoroughly. Chop parsley finely, keep aside. Crush peppercorns. Grind garlic to a rough paste. Heat butter in a pan with a dash of oil and fry garlic paste briefly. Add prawns, mustard paste, lemon juice, peppercorns and salt. Cook uncovered on low heat till the prawns are cooked. Add chopped parsley and remove from heat when the moisture dries up and serve hot.

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

I made this as soon as I got back from my holiday, but posting it has taken me this long. You know how January is … tying up all the loose ends and brushing away all the lint from the previous year! Anyway I was lusting for some more seafood (The Lankan Hangover I like to call it!) and Fish and Chips always hits the spot. The recipe is so easy I would like to think a kindergarten kid could pull it off (except the frying bit which needs parental intervention). That doesn’t mean you start getting your kids to work in the kitchen…I wouldn’t want to be promoting child labor on this site now would I? Anyway they will be thanking you for this... it’s got a whole fast food aura to it, though you’ll always know its way healthier. Our little secret! 

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 fillets of Sear/ White fish (800 gms in total)

1 Lemon (juice of)

2 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Corn flour

2 med Eggs

11/2 cups Bread crumbs for coating

For the lemon mayonnaise:

6 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1Lemon (juice of) and rind grated

2 Tbsp Tify Relish

Parsley sprigs to garnish

What to do:

Marinate the fish fillets in lime juice, mustard and salt for 15 mins. Lay out three plates separately with cornflour, bread crumbs and beaten eggs. Heat the oil and check the termperature – a cube of bread should brown in 30 secs. Dip each fillet in corn flour, then in beaten egg an finally cost with bread crumbs. Keep aside on a wire rach for 5 mins. Fry in oil till golden brown. Drain on tissue. Serve with mayo, salad and chunky fries.

To make the Lemon Mayonnaise: Grate the rind of the lemon into the mayonnaise. Extract juice of the lemon and mix in along with the relish. Garnish with parsley.

Note: I served this with a fresh lettuce and red onion salad with a lemon, olive oil and sugar vinaigrette. Tangy goodness!!

 

Happy 2011!

 “People are so worried about what they eat between Chirstmas and New year when in reality they need to be worried about what they eat between New year and Christmas!” so said Anonymous. Agreed we all overindulge during the holidays and why not? It’s the season to be jolly :)  I was away on holiday in Sri Lanka and trust me, even if you tried, you can’t stop overindulging. Sun, Sand, Surf … all add up to an atmosphere of blissful overeating. Add to it beers and wines and cocktails and you could really be in a glutton’s heaven. (MY heaven to be precise!) So without much adieu I wish you a wonderful 2011, filled with all things good and blissful and lipsmackingly awesome!


P.S. Some seafood that I lovingly shoved my face with …

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

We generally buy our seafood fresh from the local market and nothing can really beat the taste of the sea. However there is no shame opening up a can of tuna for a quick weekday meal. Considering the fish was a favorite of the ancient Phoenicians (And the Greeks and Romans loved it as well)…it’s already got a good reputation. With all the Omega3 that doctors keep saying we need to incorporate into our diet, this fish is heart healthy! I found this recipe in my cooking bible – The Family Circle Cooking Encyclopedia.  So there’s really no going wrong. The co-resident and I give this one a thumbs-up! So does Muesli, who thought the can of tuna was for her… :)

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:
500 gms Pasta
¼ cup Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
225 gm Tuna drained
60 gms Butter
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp chopped Capers
½ tsp chopped Chilli

What to do:
Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender.
Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and chilli, cook 1 min. Add tuna and cook 2 mins longer. Add butter lemon juice and capers, stir into tuna and cook on low until heated through. Drain pasta, add to sauce and mix to combine. Serve hot.