Rechad-Masala Mackerels

Rechad-Masala Mackerels

(Rechad masala is the much sort-after Goan specialty red masala or spice-paste you stuff the fish with & either pan-fry, grill or BBQ-by-the-beach! Oooh Yeah!!!!)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
15 Min 2 25 Min

Ingredients:

4 medium size mackerels or white pomfrets
salt & lime juice for marinade
4-6 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp cloves
1 Tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp bright red paprika pwd
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
6-8 garlic cloves - chopped
1/2 inch ginger piece - chopped
1tsp salt
2 tbsp vinegar


Cooking Instructions:

Ensure the fish cavity is cleaned. Run a sharp knife into the fish making pockets on either side of the backbone of the fish. You can even make 3-4 lateral grooves on either side of the fish - don't run the knife right into the bone, just about 3/4 way in. Apply salt & lime juice to the fish & set aside for 15-20 mins. Grind all the other ingredients to a paste except the oil. Wash the fish & smear the ground paste all over the fish - inside the pockets, inside the fish cavity & all over the outside too. You can let it sit & marinade for a while. Shallow-fry, grill or bbq for 6mins on each side. Serve with lemon wedges, onion rings and potato-chips/ fries.

Veg. Stuffed Bell-peppers

Veg. Stuffed Bell-peppers

(Bell-peppers stuffed with a flavorful mix of paneer/cottage cheese & vegetables like carrots, peas & potatoes.)
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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
20Min 4 20Min

Ingredients :

4 medium bell peppers of any color
200g paneer cubes (small)
100g grean peas
1 medium finely chopped onion
1 medium size potato - cut in small cubes
1 carrot - cut as the potatoes
2 green chilies - chopped
1/2 bunch coriander leaves
1/4 tsp red-chili pwd
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
1/4 tsp pepper pwd
salt to taste
cooking oil
2 tbsp butter
some thick thread


Cooking Instructions :

Soak paneer in turmeric-water. Heat some cooking oil & fry the onions till pink. Then add the chillies & powder spices and fry well. Add the potatoes & carrots with a lil' water and cook for 5 whole minutes, tossing a few times in between. Drain the paneer & add along with some salt. Cook till its done, toss in the chopped leaves & then simmer open to dry out excess water. Cut a 'lid' off the top of each capsicum, empty the cavity & apply the butter to its inner & outer surfaces. Fill them equally with the veggies & cover with their lids tying with some thread to secure the lid in place. Grease a pan & shallow fry the stuffed bell-peppers, sprinkling some salt on them. Cover & cook till they are soft; don't overcook till they are soggy. Cut off the threads & serve hot as an appetizer or side to a rice dish.

Alternative: Grate some cheese onto the stuffed bellpeppers before tying & frying them. Stuffed & tied bell-peppers can be baked instead of shallow-fried.

Peanut-chutney stuffed Baby Brinjals

Peanut-chutney stuffed Baby brinjals

(An Indian dish from the state of Maharashtra featuring baby brinjals/ eggplant stuffed with a spicy peanut sauce & cooked in the same gravy)

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PrepTime : Serves : Cook Time
10 Min 4 10Min


Ingredients :

8 small brinjals (golf-ball size)
2 handfuls peanuts (w/o the skin)
1 cup dessicated coconut
2 green chillies
1/2 tbsp pepper corns
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 chopped large onion
1/4 -1/2 cup curry leaves
cooking oil
2 ripe medium tomatoes -chopped
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
1 tbsp corriander pwd
1 tsp sugar

Cooking Instructions:

Run a knife into the bulb of each brinjal 3/4th way in towards the stem (not fully), the repeat perpendicular to this cut (cross cut). Repeat for all brinjals & place in a bowl of water with a pinch of turmeric powder & 1/2 tsp salt added to it.

Lightly roast peanuts, coconut & 1/2 the finely chopped onion and put these along with the chillies, cumin pwd, pepper corns, turmeric pwd, sugar, coriander pwd & 1/2 tsp salt. Coarsely grind (not a very smooth paste), pulsating only, till almost evenly coarse. Taste & add more salt if required.

Heat 4 tbsp oil in a non-stick kadai/ sauce pan, fry tomatoes till soft & then add this masala/ mixture & fry well for 5-6 minutes. Remove half of this mixture & stiff the brinjals with it.

In the pan with the remaining masala, add 1/2 cup (or 1-2 cups if you want more gravy) water, stir well & place the brinjals in it (stem above the gravy, bulbs immersed well into the gravy) & simmer covered for 5 minutes or till brinjals are cooked. Serve with piping hot rotis/ naan.