Prawn Dill Masala

This is a quick and easy recipe for when you want to get out of the kitchen quick. It is not spicy as it looks - just adjust the levels of chilli powder to taste. It's a good summer eat.

You'll need:
1 large onion
250 gms prawns
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 large tomato
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Few sprigs of dill finely chopped
Oil

To temper:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 green chillies, split


In some oil, fry the onions and keep aside.
In the same pan, add some garlic to 1 tsp oil and stir fry the prawns for a minute. Add salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Using the same pan again, add 2 tbsp oil and starting with cumin, add the tempering ingredients.
Once they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, chilli powder, and lime juice.
Stir fry for about a minute then add the prawns and onion. Add 2-3 tbsp water to let the prawn cook, and add salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped dill.
Serve hot with parathas or steamed rice.

Chopped Salad with Apple and Dill

Summer's here and salads are the best meal options for the season. I had read of an apple and dill salad, but that would've been very light on its own. So I combined it with my regular salad mix and it had a subtle hint of sweet and sour (?).

I prefer to chop up my greens and veggies making it easier to eat and it mixes evenly with the rest of the salad.

This makes for a meal for 1 or a side for 2.

Salad bits:
Romaine lettuce - 5-6 leaves
Rocket leaves - 1 small bunch
Dill leaves - 6-7 stems
Carrot (peeled and diced) - 1
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Apple (peeled and diced) - 2 small or 1 large
Cucumber (peeled and diced) - 1

Dressing:
Option 1: Light Ranch (store bought)
Option 2: Olive oil 3 tbsps with 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Pasta with Fennel & Orange Zest

I've never made anything with fennel before so when I got some, pasta was the simplest thing that came to mind to experiment with.

For the White Sauce:
2-3 tbsps butter
2-3 tbsps flour
500 ml milk
Seasoning

In a saucepan, melt the butter, and add the flour. once blended, add the milk and keep the heat to a medium. Stir so that the lumps dissolve. Let the milk heat but not boil. Keep on low-medium heat till it thickens.
Add more flour if needed. Once done, add seasoning and keep aside.

Veggies:
2 bulbs of fennel
2 cloves Garlic
1 small onion
2 tbsp oil
Zest of 1 orange
seasoning

Separate the stem from the leaves of the fennel. Pry apart each layer of the fennel and clean thoroughly. Slice the fennel stem. Heat the oil and add the garlic. Then add the onion and fennel stems. Cook till they're soft. Then add the zest and seasoning. Lastly, add the chopped fennel leaves.

Remove from heat and mix with the white sauce. Pour this over a bed of pasta and serve!