Aubergine and Cheese Toast

A great healthy snack or even a main.

You'll need:
1 Large aubergine sliced thinly
1 loaf of bread, sliced in half vertically
2 tomatoes, sliced
Cheddar or Parmesan cheese to sprinkle
5-6 fresh basil leaves
Salt/pepper to taste
4-5 tbsp olive oil to grill

Grill the sliced aubergine on a pan with some oil and season it with salt and pepper.

Layer the aubergines and tomatoes on the bread. Add the basil and cheese on top. Sprinkle lightly with some more salt and pepper. Bake in oven at 180 deg Celsius for 20 minutes and serve!

Tom Yum Goong

I've loved Tom Yum soup even before I ever went to Thailand. I never realised it was so easy to make - as long as you can procure all the ingredients.

You need:
3 cups chicken stock/water
5-6 mushrooms, cut in quarters
8-10 shrimps
3 tbsp fish oil
1 inch galangal, thinly sliced
3-4 green/red chillies, crushed
5-6 Kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
2 tbsp lime juice
A few sprigs of coriander

Bring the water/stock to boil. Add all the ingredients (except coriander), then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped coriander and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Apple Pie

I love apple pie! But I've never had the patience to turn out a good crust till I saw the video on Joy of Baking. It is a nice simple recipe with some tips and tricks to make the process simpler.

For the pie crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
225 gms butter - chilled and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup ice water (not all of it might be used)

I envy those with a food processor. I have to do this by hand which doesn't come out as good unless you practice a lot.

Start with putting the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Then add the butter cubes and incorporate it well with the dough till it is crumbly. The trick is to not overwork the butter dough so do it in quick motions within a minute. Then add a few tablespoons of the chilled water and knead. keep adding some water till the dough just about binds. Make sure there's no excess water.

Divide this dough into 2 parts. Flatten out each one into a 6 inch circle, wrap in clear wrap and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. Take out one of the circles after an hour. You may let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes if it is too hard to roll out. Make sure to dust the work space with some flour and roll out the dough as per the shape of your pan. the dough should be large enough to cover the base and sides of the pan. Gently pick up the dough and place it in the pan. If it breaks then just stick it together in the pan. Poke the crust with a fork to make some tiny holes in the base. Put it back in the fridge for an hour.

For the filling:

• 4-5 apples - peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (I substitued bothe the sugars with 1tbsp honey and maple syrup)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp cornflour

Place the apples in a bowl and coat them with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Add the salt, sugars and spices. Cover and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

Once the juices start to separate, place the apples in a strainer and collect the juices in a bowl below. Let it rest for another 30 minutes. Then take the juices (approximately half a cup) and place it in a microwaveable container. Add the butter and heat in the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Make sure the container is large enough because the mixture will boil and overflow. After 6 minutes, the juices would have thickened and turned like caramel.

Transfer the apples back into the bowl and add the heated caramel. Mix in the cornflour to soak up the excess liquid.

Place the apples in the tray with the pie crust. I didn't want too much of crust on my pie so I didn't make the top crust. If you do plan to make one for your pie then roll out the other half of the dough to cover the pie. If you want to seal the edges, then make a slit at the center of the top crust to let the steam out. Joy of Baking has a great video to show you how to do this.

Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for about 30-40 minutes. Make sure the edges of the pie crust don't burn. The crust should just be golden brown. Take it out from the heat and cool on a wire rack for an hour before digging in.

Spinach and Zucchini Pasta

I rarely ever order pasta at a restaurant because I like my dish full of fresh vegetables and some sauce - not just sauce or cream poured over plain pasta. This spinach sauce is simple, quick, and yum!

Boil pasta as per instructions, drain, and keep aside.

For the sauce:
1 bunch of spinach leaves blanched and pureed
1 zucchini, finely sliced
1 small onion, diced
5-6 pieces of chopped Mushroom or Asparagus
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 pieces sun-dried tomatoes
5-6 olives thinly sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1/2 cup cheese cheese (I use Cheddar)
3 tbsps milk
Salt/pepper to taste

Heat oil in a pan on medium to high heat and put in the garlic, then the onion after 30 seconds. Don't let it brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir for another 30 seconds.

Throw in the zucchini, and the mushroom or asparagus and salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium and mix well till cooked. You may want to turn up the heat so that the excess water dries up. Then add the spinach puree and coat the vegetables all over. Once cooked, stir in the cheese. After that add the milk and while it heats up add the lemon zest. Before you take it off the heat, add the olives and chilli flakes. Pour over the pasta and serve hot.

Lemon Cake

The original recipe was for cupcakes, but I decided to go for a full cake.

For the cake:

In a bowl, whisk
1/2 cup butter (room temp) and
2/3 cup caster sugar

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, whisking it well.

Then add 1 tsp Vanilla and zest of 1 large lemon

In a separate bowl, sift:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Keep 1/4 cup milk on the side.

Starting with the flour, mix 1/3rd part of flour then milk alternatively into the batter, mixing well after each addition.

Pour this mixture into a lined tin and bake at 180 deg C for about 30 minutes. You need to check the cake after 20-25 minutes if it's done, else the extra time in the oven will make it dry.
(Mine turned out a little dry, so I sliced the cake in half horizontally and poured 1/3 cup fruit juice on it and let it soak. It helped some.)

Lemon Curd:

In a steel bowl, placed over a pan of hot (not boiling) water, whisk
3 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup caster sugar

Keep whisking it to avoid formation of lumps and curdling of eggs. It takes about 7-8 minutes for it to cook. Keep a bowl and sieve handy. Right after you take the bowl out from the heat, sieve the mixture into the waiting bowl. This ensures that the curd doesn't continue to cook in the hot bowl.

After a few minutes, add
4 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
1 tbsp lemon zest

Cover and set aside to cool, then refrigerate. Covering the bowl is important else it will form a layer on top.

I assembled the cake by layering the lemon curd between the two slices of cake, and topping it with the cream cheese icing. 

Healthy Cup Noodles with Tofu

I like to have some brands of instant noodles. I know they are not the healthiest of options, but they taste good and are great comfort food.

One of the ways to make it a tad healthier is to add vegetables. Just stir fry them separately with garlic and add salt. Them mix it in with the noodles.

I had a packet of Pepper Chicken noodles, so Tofu was a great addition.

I made the noodles as directed on the packet.
For the Tofu topping:

100 gms tofu cut in cubes
1 small capsicum cut in cubes
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsps oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
salt/pepper to taste

You can also add:
Boiled chicken or prawns
Mushrooms
Baby corn

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic once oil is hot and stir on high flame for 30 seconds. Add the vegetables and tofu and keep stirring for another minute. Then add the soy sauce and chilli flakes. Normally, you shouldn't need more salt after you've used soy, but check to see if you need to add some. Add some ground pepper and remove from heat.

Mix it in with the noodles and serve hot.

Mummy's Mustard Macchi

This is a fish curry dedicated to mustard lovers. Inspired by Bengali cuisine, this is Mummy's favourite fish recipe, loved by the entire family.

Ingredients

Any fresh water fish like Kingfish or Rohu - sliced 250 g

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seed black - 1 Tbs

Mustard Seed yellow - 2 Tbs

Tomato - 1 Large

Tempering

Red chilli - 1

Onion seed - 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf - 1

Chilli Garlic Paste

Grind both in a mixer grinder:

Dry red chilli - 2

Garlic - 5 small cloves

Oil (preferably mustard oil)

Salt to taste

Green chilli - 1 slit in half

Coriander for garnish

Method

1. Wash the fish slices. Rub into the fish 1/2 tsp each of salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and 1 Tbs oil. Put in the fridge for 15 min to marinate.

2. Dry grind the mustard into a fine powder. Mix the powder with one cup warm water. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Put aside.

3. Grate the tomato.

4. Heat 8-10 Tbs of oil in a non-stick wok. When oil is smoking hot, fry the fish in batches. This should be on high heat. Cover the wok while frying. Be careful not to brown it too much, it should be a yellowish golden colour.

5. In the same oil on low-medium heat add the tempering ingredients and then the grated tomato. Add the garlic chilli paste. Keep stirring, don't burn the tomato. Also add 1 tsp Chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Keep stirring until oil starts to separate.

6. Add the previously ground mustard powder mix. Check salt. Add roughly one glass water according to how you like your gravy. Don't make it too runny. Bring to boil and add the fried fish and the slit green chilli. Cook for 3-5 min.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This was the first time I tried making cupcakes and I messed up the measurements from the original recipe - I used more than double the requirement of the pumpkin puree. The result was not bad though. It turned out more like a pumpkin pudding with a crisp outer layer and a soft center. Next time I will try the actual thing (as mentioned below).

For the cupcakes:
Boil and puree about 100 gms of fresh pumpkin. Keep aside to cool.

Mix till smooth:
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

Then add 2 eggs (at room temperature) and whisk again.
Add 1 tsp vanilla (I scraped 1/4 tsp beans from a fresh vanilla pod instead)

In a separate bowl, sift together
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove

Now alternately mix the puree and then the flour into the cream mix in 3 parts.

Line the cupcake tins and pour about 2 tbsps of the batter for each cup.
Place in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing:
1 cup icing sugar
About 1 cup of cream cheese (110 gms) [at room temperature]
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp butter (at room temperature)

1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients till smooth.

Once the cupcakes have cooled down, spread the topping on it evenly and refrigerate for an hour before eating.

Prawn Coconut Curry

This is a very easy and very delicious recipe that I make when I run out of ideas.


200 gms Prawns (de-veined and cleaned)
4-5 curry leaves
1tbsp cumin seeds
3 large tomatoes
5 cloves garlic
An inch of ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tbsp chilli powder (optional)
200 mls coconut milk
1tbsp tamarind paste

Salt/pepper to taste
Oil to cook (approximately 1/4th cup)

Note: If you are using frozen prawns, soak them in boiling water till the pieces separate, then rinse out the water and use the prawns.

Puree the tomato with the ginger and garlic.

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and wait till they sputter. Add the curry leaves.

After 30 seconds add the tomato puree and saute for about 3-4 minutes making sure it doesn't burn. Add the turmeric and chilli powders (if using) now and cook for another minute or 2.

Now add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, salt and pepper. Once it heats up, add the prawns. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve with rice and garnish with some coriander leaves.

Milk Cake

This uses a minimum amount of butter and tastes great. You could add bits and pieces of your favourite ingredient to it or have it plain.

Heat a cup of milk and add 4 tbsp of butter.
If you use vanilla pods, add them now, or a few drops of essence. Allow butter to melt. Keep aside.

Sift 2 cups flour,
with a pinch of salt and
2 tsp baking powder.

Take 4 eggs and whisk it with
2 cups of sugar till light and fluffy.
Fold in the flour mixture slowly. Add the milk.

Bake it for 40 minutes at 180 deg C.

Variations:

• Peeled and chopped pears and/or apples (with some ground cinnamon and nutmeg)
• Desiccated coconut
• Dry fruits - walnuts, blanched almonds, dates
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (subtract 2 tbsp flour from the whole)

Onion Soup

With the rains and then the winters (or what passes here for winter) coming up, there's nothing better than a wholesome soup to cuddle up with.

In a saucepan, heat about 3 tbsp of Butter, add to it 3 finely sliced onions and some chopped garlic. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook till onions turn golden brown. Keep stirring making sure the onions don't burn.

Then sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour and mix well. Add 4 cups of water or stock and bring to boil. Lower the heat again and let it simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes till onions are tender and the stock is reduced. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Pour the soup into an oven safe bowl/cup. Top it with a slice of French bread and add cheese. Gruyere cheese is recommended but since I couldn't find it, I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar.

Bake it for 15 minutes at 150 deg C.

Kokum Juice

 I picked up some kokum last summer. Truth be told, I didn't know what they were. I had never seen fresh kokum before.

Dried kokum is used as a souring agent in curries in the Konkan coast in India, and is also made into a juice that is perfect to beat the summer heat.

If you are a brave soul, you can try eating them raw with some salt (the flesh has some pits like Mangosteen that you can remove).

Another option is to collect all the flesh in a bowl. Mash it with your hands and soak it in a bowl of water for an hour. Then boil it adding some sugar till slightly stick. Put this through a strainer and discard the lumps. The resulting juice can be had with some salt and roasted cumin seeds.

The skin is also used for making juice and dried up, it can be used in curries as well.
Store the peels in a container with twice as much sugar. Keep the container in strong sunlight for a week. Make sure to shake the jar 2-3 times everyday. The resulting juice is a concentrate that can be mixed with some water, salt and roasted cumin seeds for a refreshing drink.

The peels can be dried further on a piece of paper where it will get direct sunlight. Once it is thouroughly dry, you can use it in fish curries or other Konkan delicacies. There are many recipes available online.

Hash Browns

On the topic of breakfast, here's another favourite.

Half boil 2-3 potatoes (don't cook them completely else the hash browns won't get crisp).

Let them cool then peel the skin off. Grate the potatoes and add some salt/pepper and 2-3 tbsps of oil.

Take a handful of the mixture, squeeze it into a ball so that it sicks and flatten it out on a pan or baking tray.

You could cook it on a pan or bake it for 20 min in a preheated oven at 180 deg C.

Baked Eggs

A great breakfast idea and easier to make than an omlette.

Butter a ramekin.
Make a base with your favourite cold cut/bacon slices
Add chopped veggies if you like (onion, mushrooms, broccoli)
Break in 2 eggs
Add salt/pepper
Top with some grated cheese
Garnish with some oregano and chilli flakes

Bake at 180 deg C for 10 minutes.

Carrot+Apple cake

This is as simple as ABC (for those who speak English). Easy to remember too!

You need:
1 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 cup peeled, cored and grated apples
1 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Optional:
A few drops of Vanilla
Handful of Walnuts and/or dates
Orange zest

Beat the eggs with the sugar till fluffy.
Add the oil and whisk again.
Sieve in the flour with the baking powder and salt. Then fold in the mixture.
Fold in the rest of the ingredients.

Pour in a greased pan and bake for 40 minutes at 180 deg C.

Granola Bars

Husband started going to the gym in the evenings (well...most evenings) so wanted to pack something he could eat before his workout. He usually doesn't eat anything after lunch so he needs something by evening. Store-bought bars are ok once in a while, but I'd rather avoid the hidden ingredients in them. Here's how to make your own at home.

Roast the following:
1 cup oats
1 cup puffed rice
2 tbsp sesame seeds (white and/or black)
1 tbsp flax seeds

Keep aside.

In a shallow pan on a low flame, heat
4 tbsp butter
and add (according to taste)
5tbsp brown sugar
5tbsp honey
Stir till the mixture becomes caramalised.

Add a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla.

Stir in the roasted items till well coated.

At this point, you could also add chopped dry fruits like walnuts, raisins, almonds or figs. Mix and match according to what you like.

Then evenly spread out the mixture on a non-stick or greased sheet and let it cool. You could push in some chocolate chips at this stage.

Once cool, you can cut them into strips or squares, and store them in an air-tight container.

Chocolate-Chip Cookies

I have nothing against eggs, but sometimes I just don't have them at home when I want to make something. Moreover, many people I know don't eat eggs or are averse to the smell - even in baked goods. So here's the eggless version of the evergreen favourite.

You'll need:
3 tsps flax seed powder soaked for 5 min in 3/4 cup of warm water (OR 3 eggs)
1 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 and 1/2 cup flour (I use regular wholewheat)
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I use 2 chopped chocolate bars)

Optional stuff:
2 tbsp cocoa powder 
Handful of chopped walnuts

Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl till smooth. Add the flax seed mixture and stir till well blended. Then sieve in the flour, Cocoa (if using), salt and baking soda and mix well. Add the chocolate and walnuts.

Keep this dough in the fridge for an hour or 2 before baking.
Put spoonful of dough on a greased sheet 2 inches apart then bake it for 15 minutes at 180 deg C.

Cool on a wire rack before devouring.

Makes approximately 25 cookies.

Chocolate Brownies

Felt like having some brownies so this is what I came up with.

Take 1/4 cup of melter butter and add in 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder and mix.

To this, add
2 eggs
3/4 cup of muscavado sugar
1/3 cup flour
Few drops of vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp chocolate sauce/syrup
Handful of chopped walnuts

Mix well and place it in a greased baking tray.
Preheat oven to 175 dec C and bake for 30 min approximately.

Chicken / Mutton Biryani

This was made by Husband all by himself. It takes a while to get things together and prepare but the result is delicious. We usually order biryani from a restaurant we like, but it is usually too oily or too spicy for our liking. Making it at home lets us tweak it to our preference.

Chicken/Mutton Marinade:
750 gms Chicken or Mutton (either boneless or whole if you prefer. We used a mix of boneless and leg pieces)
Marinate it in:
Ginger Paste 1tsp
Garlic Paste 1tsp
Salt 1/2tsp
Chilli powder 2tbsp
Tumeric powder 1tsp
Garam Masala 2 tbsp
Few sprigs of mint and coriander leaves
1 onion
Yogurt 3/4cup (go up to a full cup to ensure that the chicken is fully coated and is not dry)
Juice of 1 lemon
Oil 1/4 cup

Mix it all in and let it rest overnight or if you dont have the time then for an hour in the fridge.

Rice:

Use 2 cups Basmati (long grain) rice and wash it 2-3 times in cold water to remove starch. Then soak it for about 30 minutes. Cook this in a wide bottom vessel and do not stir it. Let it rest.

In a small bowl, put a few strands of Saffron in 4 tbsps of water and let it soak.

Take another saucepan on a high flame and bring 10 cups of water to boil. Then put in the following and cook for a minute:

4 Whole cardamom  

3 cloves

1/2 tsp black cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

4 black peppercorns

4 tbsp salt

1tbsp oil/ghee

Now gently add the cooked rice to this spiced water and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain the water and set aside the rice and spice mix.

Putting it all together:

• Take a large wide-bottom vessel and put it on a high flame so it gets hot.
• Put in the entire marinaded chicken. Then add the rice on top. DO NOT mix. This will cook in layers.
• Top it up with 2 tbsp oil/ghee and the saffron water
• Seal the vessel with aluminium foil. Or if you have a lid, seal the edges with dough.
• Then take a flat plan and put that on a high flame burner. Once it is hot, reduce the heat to a minimum and place the vessel with the food on this.
• Cook for approximately 30-40 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Open the container just before serving and mix the layers so that all the rice is covered with the chicken mixture.
• Top it up with some fried onions and coriander.
• Serve with raita.

Raita:

In 2 cups yogurt add finely chopped

1 onion

1 tomato

1 green chilli

Few sprigs of mint/coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Grilled fish with Baked Potatoes and Red Cabbage Salad

A great dinner option is something light but filling. It is also quite easy to make.

For the potatoes:
Potatoes sliced. Toss it in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes. Bake for about 40 minutes at 200 deg C. Around the half way mark, flip it around for an even texture.

While that is getting ready you can prepare the other two items.

For the salad:
1 small red cabbage
2 onions
A splash of vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Some oilive oil
(Boiled corn kernels optional)

Heat up the oil and add the onions. Stir till they start to get a little color, then add the cabbage. Cook till soft...about 5 minutes. Then add the vinegar and honey and cook till the liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool.

For the fish:
Fish fillet
Olive oil to coat
Salt / pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs
Cornflour to coat (only if required to soak up moisture)

You can marinate the fish in oil, salt & pepper for an hour or so but if you haven't had the time, it doesn't matter. Just coat the fillets with oil and seasoning, and dip it in a plate of breadcrumbs and press it so that it is evenly covered on both sides. If you feel that there is excess water, then coat the fillet with some cornflour before the breadcrumb layer. I didn't need to use any extra oil to grill it.

The whole process took me less than an hour!

Jelly-filled Cinnamon Cake/Muffin

This was actually a muffin recipe that I made into a cake for Husband's birthday surprise at midnight.
Simple to make with no flashy ingredients. You'll need:


1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg and cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk (room temperature)
Jam (any flavor)


Sieve the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients (except the jam) separately in another bowl, then stir in the wet mixture into the dry one and mix properly.
Put half the batter in a tray (muffin or cake), add a layer of jam, then pour in the rest of the mixture on top.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 250 deg C.

For the Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Keep the melted butter in a small small, and on a plate mix the sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the cake is done, dip the top first in the butter then the sugar.
Additionally, you could top it with some chocolate sauce. 

No Bake Yogurt Cheesecake

I love cheesecakes...in fact I love most things that have cheese.
Here's a really easy recipe to make one at home.

For the base you'll need...
1 large packet of biscuit (I use Digestive or Parle G)
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, or ground them into a processor. Mix in the butter evenly and spoon it in a pan, pressing it so that the base is even. Keep in freezer to set till you make the filling.

Strain 1 cup yogurt so that all the whey drains out, and you are left with thick yogurt.

For the filling, mix

• 1 small sachet of gelatin (I used Orange flavoured) dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water and set aside.
• 200gms cream cheese at room temperature with 1/2 cup sugar. Blend till smooth.

 Add the yogurt to the cream and mix well. Finally add the gelatin and mix well to remove lumps. Pour this onto the crust and put it in the fridge for 3-4 hours to set.

Top it with fresh fruits, preserves, chocolate sauce, or just enjoy it as it is!

Fish in Coconut Curry

I love simple curries with rice. It's a no nonsense meal that is easy to make and tastes great on its own without diluting the taste with accompaniments which is so common with Indian meals.

Here's what you need:
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-10 curry leaves
2-3 green chillies, slit
Some ginger & garlic (I prefer using them fresh instead of the packaged pastes) 
2 finely chopped onions
2 large tomatoes chopped (or pureed if you are fussy like me about bits of tomato in curries)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tamarind paste or juice of 1 lemon
Chilli powder according to tolerance
Approx 300ml coconut milk
1/2 kg fish, sliced (I use Rawas - Indian Salmon or Surmai - King fish)
Salt/pepper to taste


Garnish
Chopped coriander 

Heat adequate oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds with the curry leaves till they pop. Add the green chillies, onion and ginger/garlic. Cook till the onions are translucent. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and stir for about a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients all together and simmer for about 15-20 minutes till the fish is cooked

Serve with plain rice or naan

Apple-Pineapple Oatmeal Pie

I'm fond of an oatmeal pie crust great for 2 reasons - they're healthy, and you don't need finesse to bake one...just mix it all up and put it in a pan.

For the Pie Crust
Mix 2 cups of oatmeal, 3 tbsps brown sugar, and half a cup of whole wheat flour with 1/4 cup melted butter.
Mix it all up nicely and put it in a baking dish. Press it down well so that the entire mixture is condensed onto the tray and bake it at 180 deg C for 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

For the Filling
2 apples cored, peeled and sliced
Some chunks of pineapple...mashed or sliced (if you are using canned fruits then remember to drain them)
2 tbsps flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsps brown sugar
some ground cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsps cream

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. Put this on the prepared pie crust and bake at 220 deg C for 8-10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 175 deg C and bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy a healthy dessert!