Tofu, Scallion, Kale protein balls for Salad.

Today's lunch box salad was enriched with Tofu-Scallion-Kale protein balls.  I prepared these protein balls with turmeric-hing seasoning, for binding Besan and  organic buckwheat flour  is used. Salad base was iceberg lettuce, locally produced cucumber from Porter farms, and black olives. No salad dressing was used except little drizzle of vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. After packing salad for lunch box I saved  few tofu balls to prepare one more serving for my lunch. Recipe for tofu protein balls has evolved from earlier made mix vegetable Tofu-Paneer koftas  which were  prepared for sattvik kofta curry. Later with some alterations and tweaks I  continued to create different tofu balls. Scroll down to see images of tofu koftas prepared earlier. These are Vegan and Gluten free tofu protein balls.

Tofu-Veggie ball salad I enjoyed for my lunch.

Salad packed in lunch box.

Ingredients for Salad with Vegetable Tofu balls :
Makes 12-15 Tofu balls / 2 Servings of salad.
Tofu Ball Ingredients

• 1 block - Firm tofu (8 oz.) , I cut half from 16 oz. slab of tofu.
• 1/3 Cup - Finely sliced scallion greens.
• 1/3 Cup - Tightly packed very finely sliced kale leaves.
• 1.5 Tb.spoon - Besan flour /gram flour ( roasted)
• 1.5 Tb.spoon - Buckwheat flour ( roasted)
• 1 Tb.spoon - fine rice flour to use while shaping tofu balls.
• 1 green chili - finely sliced.
• 1 pinch - Hing/Asafoetida
• 1 pinch - Turmeric powder
• 1/4 T.spoon - salt
• 3 Cups - Chopped Iceberg lettuce leaves.
• 1/2 Cucumber - sliced into thin half moon shape. (1.5 Cup yield)
• Black olives - 12-15 thoroughly drained and rinsed.( I used canned whole pitted olives.)
• 1 T.spoon - oil + 1/2 tsp more to roast flours.

Salad Ingredients : 
3.5 Cups - Chopped Iceberg lettuce leaves. ( about 100 gm)
1 Persian cucumber - 25-30  slices
1 green chili - finely sliced
1 Tb.spoon - Extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T.spoon - Vinegar
1/4 cup - Purslane leaves (optional)
1 tiny pinch - salt
1 pinch - sugar

 How to prepare Tofu protein balls for salad :

1. Preparing Tofu :Cut half portion from 16 oz Tofu block. Rinse under water, press block few times between the palms of your hand, pat with thick two layers of paper towel, absorb as much as water,  then place it in the bowl, break slab by using fork. Take a clean cotton cloth, place in all scrambled tofu, twist and tie cloth tightly, squeeze few times to remove all water content from the tofu. Give 4-5 minutes for water extraction, at least two times open the twisted cloth, move center part of the tofu towards bottom, squeeze again. This will drain out maximum water, I got around 1/2 cup drained liquid. Place water drained tofu back into the dry bowl.
2. In a small saute pan add  1.5  tbsp each of Besan and buckwheat flour, 1/2 tsp oil. Roast over medium heat, stirring constantly  until flour turns dry, slightly grainy and aromatic.This will take little over 3 minutes.
3. In a drained tofu bowl add very finely sliced 1/3 cup scallion greens, 1 tbsp roasted  flour, 1 sliced green chili, one pinch of hing and one generous pinch of  turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix all well.
4. Next add  finely sliced Kale leaves, mix well, sprinkle 1 more tbsp roasted  buckwheat and  besan flour. You can add kale leaves along with scallion greens, I added it later because initially I had thought about using only scallion. Mix and knead well, once smooth ball is formed, divide it into small size balls. I made assorted shaped balls but later I cut roasted bigger size protein balls into half.  It is better to make small bite sized balls because they will cook through quicker and more enjoyable in salads. While making balls first firmly press and create rough round ball, then hold it between the two palms and roll to achieve smooth rounds. If you feel stickiness, dust with rice flour, also oil greased palm will help.
5. Heat  saute pan by drizzling few drops of oil, Place all the balls, cook over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes. Flip the balls very often to get roasted all around. Also 2-3 times increase heat to medium high, heat pan for a minute then  hold pan handle and swirl around for  20 seconds so that tofu balls are cooked through well and form even roast marks around ball.  Next time I will experiment  to bake, grill and steam these tofu protein balls. For better  flavor I added rinsed whole pitted black olives in the  pan along with tofu balls when tofu balls were roasted half way through, after 7 minutes. Remove roasted olives and tofu balls from the pan, allow to cool.

Salad assembly -- I prepared two portions of salad, one I packed for husbands lunch and remaining portion  I ate for my lunch. Chop 3-4 iceberg lettuce leaves to make 3.5  cups quantity. Slice  half persian cucumber into round shape and remaining into half moon shape. Chop one green chili very finely. Mix Chopped lettuce, sliced cucumbers, chopped green chili into one bowl. Add  1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 tsp vinegar, sprinkle one tiny pinch of salt and one pinch of sugar, Toss to mix all well. Serve or pack in lunch box topped with tofu protein balls and roasted olives.(Few larger tofu balls I cut into 2-3 pieces.) In lunch box I set lettuce, cucumber, tofu balls separately. In my salad I additionally added fresh plucked purslane leaves from the pot. If you prefer, season Tofu balls and olives with olive oil and vinegar before adding to salad.

Note : Any variety  of greens can be added along with additional seasoning of cumin powder, hint of garam masala, ginger, garlic, onion, herbs. More tweaking can be done with the use of seeds and nuts. Create variety of tofu protein balls/Koftas by mix and match of ingredients.

finely sliced kale leaves

Roasting whole pitted black olives along with tofu balls.

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Images of variety of Tofu balls made in the past.

mix vegetable Paneer+Tofu  koftas for sattvic kofta curry.

Fish+Tofu Koftas for Tava Pulao.

Non-Deep Fried version of Mix veg Paneer and Tofu Kofta.

Square shaped koftas done by using two piece rice cube.(These are pan roasted.)

Snake gourd stir fry with Plums. [Stone Fruit based Tangy Indian Vegetable Stir Fry.]

Today morning I made stir fry with fresh, tender locally produced snake gourd  using two juicy plums. I  made saute base with  red onions and two red vine sweet mini peppers to have contrast color with light green snake gourd slices and  tempered it with split urad dal , curry leaves and  green chili. Pre-boiling Snake gourd kept colors vibrant and saved some cooking time. This is my first time to use Plums in vegetable stir fry, earlier I have cooked cauliflower with oranges  and  green beans with cranberries. This stir fry has nice sweet and sour taste and is packed with natural veggie and fruit flavor. This stir fry has initiated  few ideas to cook many more vegetable stir fries and curries using different  fruits, nuts and seeds. Following images are taken with Canon Power Shot -110.

Sliced Snake gourd / Podalangai/ Potlakaya/ Padavalkai

Ingredients : 
( Serves two with roti or one single generous stir fry serving .)

• 150 gm - 1 small snake gourd, sliced thin in half moon shape (discard formed seeds, retain tender seeds as I did, refer above image.)
• 2 Plums - chopped in 1 cm size chunks, seeds removed.
• 2 Vine ripe mini Peppers - use red colors. cut into small pieces.(substitute with red or green colored capsicum. Use of mini papers  is optional.)
• 1 small size - Red onion, sliced thin length wise. (yield - 1 heaping Cup)
• 1 Tb.spoon - oil
• 1 green chili - finely chopped
• 1 Tb.spoon - split skinless Urad Dal / Black gram.
• 1 Sprig - Fresh Curry leaf
• 1/2 Cup - Fresh cilantro chopped
• 1/2 T.spoon - Honey - Use if plums are sour. You may sprinkle little brown sugar or jaggery powder.

Adding pre-boiled snake gourd to sauteed onions and Plums.

Preparation - Padval Stir Fry with Plums.

1. Slightly chop out both the ends of the snake gourd, cut in the center, make two parts then slit lengthwise. If you find hard formed seeds, remove them. My snake gourd was very tender so I retained inner seed pulp. Cut thin half moon shape slices by placing seed side on the cutting board. (Check image to see how tender pulp looks like.) Place sliced snake gourd in a medium side bowl filled with water, add two tiny pinches of salt, boil in microwave for 6 minutes. If snake gourd is not very tender, give few more minutes. I did this while onions were getting sauteed. Drain water, keep the bowl aside.(use drained water for other cooking, I don't add salt so that I can drink it up after it cools.)
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small saute pan over medium heat, add  curry leaves, chopped green chilies, sizzle for 10-15 seconds. Quickly add 1 tbsp skinless split urad Dal, stir with spoon for 15-25 seconds, add sliced onions as soon as dal turns one shade darker in color. Continue to stir fry onions over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes. In the mean time, you can finish pre-boiling sliced snake gourd.
3. Add chopped plums and chopped vine ripe mini peppers, continue to stir fry over medium high heat, stirring often for about 4 minutes or until plums start to soften.
4. Now add pre-boiled snake gourd  /padval slices to the pan, mix well, add  2 pinches of salt or little more as needed. Reduce heat to medium low, continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Check sweet and sour level, if  sourness is sharp, add 1/2 tsp honey or brown sugar or jaggery. Shut off the heat, garnish with 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. If you have fresh grated coconut add that too.  Serve with rice, roti. Use in wraps, tacos or sandwiches.

Note : This stir fry can be done with all most all vegetables, I would try similar stir fry with Chayote, Turia, Cauliflower, Cluster beans, Tindora, green beans, Zuccini, Bell Peppers, Dudhi. Also baby potatoes, Bitter gourd and Egg plant. Do mix and match of veggies. This recipe can be further tweaked into creamy Kormas by adding  spices and  more ingredients.

Mix Vegetable Vegan Halwa with Bottle gourd, Carrots and Chioggia Beets. {Indian Vegan Dessert with vegetables.}

Indian sweet "Halwa"  can be prepared with different flours, Dals, Nuts, Fruits and vegetables. Today I am sharing  recipe of Halwa made with three vegetables. I had  one organic Chioggia beet, few locally grown tender carrots in the refrigerator, quantity was not sufficient to make three servings of Halwa so  I added one  Lauki / Dudhi  and made  this Three vegetable Halwa. I skipped adding milk , used  extra virgin coconut oil so it turned  vegan halwa. For rich taste and additional nutrition I added coarse ground  almond meal and Hemp hearts. After cooking bright natural color of vegetable was  lost but Halwa tasted  absolutely delicious.

 Halwa Ingredients : (3 servings of Halwa)

• 1 Dudhi / Bottlegourd / Lauki - grated, yield 2.5 cup tightly packed.
• 1 Chioggia Beetroot - grated -(yield 1 cup tightly packed) regular beets can be used.
• 8-10 young  carrots - grated - (yield 1 cup tightly packed) use any type of carrots.
• 5-6 Tb.spoon - extra virgin coconut oil (I used Carrington Farms from costco.)
• 5 Tb.spoon - Hemp hearts (raw shelled hemp seeds.)
• 1/4 Cup- coarse ground almond powder
• 4-5 Cardamom - finely ground seeds
• 3 Tb.spoon - Golden raisins
• 4 Tb.spoon - slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup sugar - extra 3-4 Tb.spoon for  more sweetness.

Lauki , Gajar and Chioggia Beet.

Grated Beetroot, Carrots and Dudhi.

Method of making Mix vegetable Halwa.

1. Cut both the ends of Bottle gourd, peel the skin. Keep the seeds if they are extra tender. If seeds are grown then remove inner seed portion. Grate by using grater as shown in the image or use food processor. Keep it aside. (Bitter tasting bottle gourd  should not be consumed due to its  toxic properties.)
2. I used organic locally grown carrots so didn't peel the skin but thoroughly washed it under running water by rubbing the skin to get rid of soil. Grate it by using grater or use food processor. Peel the skin if you are using regular carrots.
3. For Chioggia beets I  partially peeled the skin from rough root grown portion. Don't peel off clean dark pink skin. Grate and keep aside.
4. Gently squeeze juice from grated veggies. Do not squeeze out all juice, one or two times gentle hand squeeze is enough. I got around half cup juice, drink it up or use it  in cooking.
5. In a small saute pan heat 1 tbsp coconut oil, add golden raisins in two batches, stir fry by stirring continuously until raisins swell to round shape and turn light brown. Keep heat low to avoid burning. Drain over paper towel. Next add little more coconut oil in the same pan, fry slivered almonds until light brown. Drain on paper towel.
6. Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil in a heavy gauge pot. I took 4 quart hard anodized pot. Add all grated vegetables, cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often. Add powdered cardamom seeds when you are half way through cooking process. If mixture gets too dry spray some water to retain moisture.
7. Now add 1/4 cup coarse ground almond powder, mix well, cook for five minutes, stirring often.
8. Next add 3/4 cup sugar, once sugar melts, veggie mixture will turn loose in texture, continue to cook until mixture forms thick pulp like texture. Taste sweetness, if required add 3-4 tbs more sugar.
9. Now add 5 tbsp hemp hearts (optional) and 2 tbsp coconut oil, mix well, continue to cook for 6-7 minutes or until mixture achieves your desired halwa texture. Add fried raisins and slivered almonds, mix well. (save few for final garnish) Let it cool down completely before serving. You can serve in a bowl or shape in your choice of moulds.

Basil & Broccoli Paratha {Indian Roti / unleavened flat bread enriched with Broccoli and Thai Basil.}

I had fresh Broccoli and a big bunch of  fresh Thai Basil from local farms. I made parathas using these two good ingredients to pack in the lunch box. I have added some organic sprouted wheat flour with regular Indian chapati aata to boost nutrition. Crushed Onion, Garlic, Cumin  is added  to enhance flavor and taste.

Ingredients :
(Makes 6 Parathas/ Unleavened Flat breads.)

• 1 + 3/4 Cup -Wheat flour ( I took 1 cup Indian atta and 3/4 cup sprouted whole wheat organic flour)
• 5-6 small Broccoli florets along with tender stems - yield 1 Cup roughly chopped broccoli.
• 3-4 Tb.spoon whey or 1/4 cup yogurt
• 25-30 Thai Basil leaves along with tender stems
• 1/2 medium size onion - chopped - yield 1/2 cup
• 2 Green chilies - chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic - slice each into 2-3 pieces
• 1 T.spoon - roasted Jeera / cumin powder ( whole cumin or raw jeera powder can be used.)
• 1/2 T.spoon - Turmeric powder
• 1/2 T.spoon - Salt
• 1 Tb.spoon oil  +  more oil to drizzle over paratha.

Preparing paratha dough.

Yogurt / Dahi

How to make Broccoli & Basil Paratha.

1. Chop roughly 5-6 small size broccoli florets and stems, to  get one cup yield. Cut onion into small pieces to get 1/2 cup yield. Chop green chilies and slice garlic cloves into 2-3 pieces. Combine all ingredients with 6-7 basil leaves  in a small blender, crush to coarse texture without adding water. (In absence of blender use grater or microplane.)
2. Roughly chop 20  basil leaves, finely chop tender stem portion. Keep it aside.
3. In a medium size bowl add 3/4 cup organic sprouted wheat flour and 1 cup regular Indian chapati aata, roasted cumin powder, turmeric, chopped basil leaves and grated mixture of broccoli-onion, 1/2 tsp salt. (You may use plain organic flour instead of sprouted wheat flour or adding multigrain flour will also work.) Mix all together to make moist dough. Juices from herbs and broccoli won't be enough to bind the dough so add 3-4 tbsp yogurt whey or mix of whey and  yogurt to make dough. Once the dough is bound together, smear with 1 tbsp oil and knead  few more minutes to make  a soft dough.
4. Divide dough evenly into 6 balls, lightly dust with flour. Apply few drops of oil over palm, then  rotate  each ball  between palms to make smooth dough ball. Roll each ball into 5 inch wide circle.
5. Heat the griddle over medium heat. Place rolled paratha, after 30-40 seconds spray little oil over the edges of paratha, spray few drops in the center. Slow roast over medium heat, flip few times and fry until light brown spots appear over both the sides of paratha. Give 2-3 minutes fry time for each paratha.
6. Serve with thick creamy yogurt or sour cream or cream cheese. 

Basil, Broccoli ke Parathe.

Winter time Greens stir fry with Mooli, Methi and Aloo. { Mix greens and root vegetable saute with Fenugreek leaves, Daikon Radish and Potatoes.}

During my weekly Indian grocery shopping  I got fresh methi and locally grown Mooli with greens on top.  I cooked mix greens stir fry by adding potato cubes.   I enhanced traditional Indian Aloo Methi combination by adding mooli. For the first time I used my new 22mm shaver grater to get thin slices/shavings of mooli, it gave great texture and reduced the cooking time. This is simple stir fry of root vegetables and greens seasoned with onion and garlic.

Aloo, Methi greens, Mooli root and greens.

Aloo-Methi-Mooli Stir Fry

Ingredients :

• 2 whole  tender Mooli / Dikon Radish with greens on top. (finely chop greens and slice white radish portion)
• 2 small methi bunches - chopped tender stems and leaves,  yield 7 cups tightly packed.
• 1 Extra large potato - cut into 1/2 inch dices (2 cups yield)
• 1 large onion - finely sliced length wise
• 8-10 large Garlic cloves - sliced lengthwise
• 2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
• 1/2 T.spoon - turmeric powder
• 2 Tb.spoon oil

(This quantity of ingredients serves Six generous subji portions.)

Method of cooking Mix Greens & Root vegetable saute :

1. Separate Daikon Radish greens and white root. Wash under running water, separate stems and green leaves, chop finely. Do not mix chopped stems and leaves. keep it aside.  Chop out both the ends of white radish root, make slices by using slicer / shaver. I used 22mm shaver grater. If you have regular slicer, cut radish lengthwise into  2 or 3 pieces  to get smaller size slices/ shavings. It is ok to make round slices.
2. Clean methi/fenugreek greens by plucking top tender stems with leaves, wash thoroughly under water, drain, chop finely. Keep aside
3. Cut one extra large potato into half an inch dices. Place in a medium size bowl filled with  water, salt,  and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Microwave for 6-7 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain water, keep potatoes aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in  a large pot over medium heat, add onions, saute for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chopped green chilies and sliced garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
5. Now add chopped stem portion of radish green. Saute for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Next mix radish shavings/ slices. Mix well and continue sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add chopped methi and dikon radish greens, salt. Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
7. Next add drained boiled potato cubes, gently mix  all by using  wooden spoon, check and adjust salt level. Continue to cook  open for another 5-6 minutes over low-medium heat, stirring at some interval. Serve hot with roti and rice.

22mm shaver makes  thin slices of Mooli/Daikon  radish.

Image taken before adding potatoes.

Adding boiled aloo cubes to Mooli and Methi stir fry.

Pot full of Aloo-Methi-Mooli stir fry.

Moola, Batata ani Methi chi Bhaji.

Published on 25th Feb-2013

Sauteed Green mix with Veggies - Mooli Palak and Red Spring Onions with Mustard Greens.

Adding sauteed greens as side always brings tastier, healthier meals packed with multiple food value .Cooking Sauteed Greens by pairing up with  veggies makes more enriched stir fry. I am posting two stirfry recipes, First one is Daikon and spinach combination and second stir fry is cooked with locally grown mustard greens and red spring onions.These stir fries are simple, seasoned with only onion, garlic, green chilies.

1) Sauteed Spinach with Daikon (Radish/Mooli)

Ingredients :-

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach chopped or 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 1 7-8 inch long Daikon radish (Mooli) - cut into half inch pieces
• 1 medium size onion - finely chopped
• 8-10 - fresh cloves of garlic - make thin lengthwise slices
• 2-3 Green chilies - roughly  chopped
• 1.5 Tb.spoon oil.

How to saute Radish and spinach :-

1. Heat 1.5 Tb.spoon oil in a large pot. Add the onions and stir fry on high heat for about 3-4 minutes.Reduce heat to medium and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Now add garlic and green chilies. Saute for about a minute. Add cut radish and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now turn the heat to high, add half cup of water and cook for 5-6  minutes or more until radish is cooked. Make sure there is enough water to steam radish pieces - if required add 1 tablespoon water at a time.
3. Once radish is almost tender and water is evaporated  add chopped spinach and salt. Mix well and saute on medium heat until it wilts with bright green glow. This will need about 4-5 minutes. In case there is  little  water left, stir fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot with rice and roti.

Fresh chopped Spinach (Palak)

Mooli Palak subji

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2) Sauteed Red spring onions and mustard greens.

Ingredients and Cooking Process

Greens you need :- One bunch of Red spring onions and 25-30 leaves of mustard greens, one medium garlic bulb, green chilies,oil and salt.

Preparations :- Thoroughly rinse red spring onions and mustard greens under running water. Roughly chop mustard greens. (refer above chopped spinach picture) Cut  and finely chop red onion portion from spring onions. Also chop green onion leaves.  Lengthwise slice each garlic clove, finely chop green chilies.

Cooking :- Heat one tablespoon  oil in a open saute pan (10 inch diameter)  put in  chopped red onion portion, saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Add sliced garlic and green chilies, saute this  for one minute. Reduce heat to medium, add chopped greens and little salt. Cook until wilted  but still  bright green, about 8-9 minutes. Serve hot with rice and roti.

Locally grown Mustard Greens and Red spring onions from Cary Farmers Market.

Oven broiled King Mackerel Steak, Green & Wax beans stir fry with Cranberries, Basil and fresh coconut -- served with Kerala Matta rice & King mackerel curry -- Fish special Indian Sunday lunch.

Sunday special lunch menu - King Mackerel curry, oven baked king mackerel steaks, locally grown green and wax beans stir fry infused with pot grown spicy globe basil leaves, all this  was served with Kerala matta rice. Here in NC we get fresh King Mackerel / King Fish in local Chinese store. I always get around 2 lbs King mackerel and cook curry and fry. For more information on King mackerel found in NC coast - Click here. In this post I am blogging recipe for oven broiled spicy King Mackerel steaks  and  Wax and Green beans stir fry with cranberries, pot grown basil and fresh coconut.
 Note : Published on...02.12.12

Green & Wax Beans Stir fry.

Recipe for French cut Green and Wax bean stir fry with cranberries, Basil and fresh coconut.

Ingredients :-

• Green beans - 1 cup  cut into diagonal french cut
• Wax beans - 1 cup cut into diagonal french cut
• 1 cup - fresh basil leaves with tender stems ( I used mix of cinnamon and spicy Globe Basil)
• 2 tiny onions - chopped thin lengthwise
• 1/2 cup - sweetened cranberries
• 2 green chilies - finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut  and few shavings of coconut for more appealing garnish.( check griddle image below.) I used potato peeler to get coconut shavings.

Green beans Stir Fry Method :-

1. Thoroughly wash beans under running water, drain, slightly trim off  stem and other end of the beans, pull out strings from non tender older beans. Cut them diagonally into french style.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium size saute pan, throw in half cup roughly chopped basil  leaves, sizzle for 15 seconds. Add lengthwise sliced onions, chopped green chilies, saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat with frequent stirs. Now add 1 tablespoon cranberries, continue to saute with onions for 2 more minutes. In the process allow cranberries to get a bit burnt, darkened and caramelized. Sweetened cranberries make this bean stir fry extra delicious with added sweet and sour zest.
3. Bring heat down to medium, add french cut green and wax beans, little salt - continue to saute for 4-5 minutes. Do add few tablespoons of water to keep moisture in the pan. 
4. Now add remaining cranberries, 2-3 tbs water, taste and adjust salt level - reduce heat to medium low,  cover with the lid - cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. Remove the lid, continue cooking until all water has evaporated. Garnish with grated coconut and shavings of coconut, remaining basil leaves. Enjoy with rice and roti.

Wax beans and Green beans from Cary farmers market.

Wax Beans+Green Beans, container grown basil,
fresh coconut, cranberries and locally grown onions.

 grated coconut at left and shavings of fresh coconut at right side.

How to Cook Oven broiled/baked Spicy King Fish steaks?

Homemade Spice Rub for King fish fry :-

• 1 Teaspoon - corriander
• 1/2 Teaspoon - Jeera/Cumin
• 6-7 inch long dry Pasilla chili pepper ( brings dark brown glow)
• 5-6  dry Arbol chilies (for heat)

Combine and Grind above spices and dry peppers to a fine powder.

For marination you will also need :-

• 6-8 Garlic cloves - coarsely ground paste
• 2 inch Ginger piece - coarsely ground paste
• 2-3 Tb.spoon rice flour or all purpose flour (maida)

Process for broiling / baking spicy King fish steaks in the oven :-

1. Wash  King mackerel steaks, place them in a large plate/ aluminum foil/ plastic sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt, gently rub and spread salt all over fish. Now sprinkle ground spice rub over king fish steaks, gently rub and pat all over fish. Now apply  Ginger garlic coarse paste along with little more salt over fish steaks, rub-pat and gently massage over steaks. You will need to sprinkle some water to  coat marinade evenly over steaks.
2. Lastly sprinkle rice flour/ Maida (all purpose flour)over steaks and pat well to thicken the marination layer. If required use few drops of water. Cover marinated steaks and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. 
3. Prepare baking dish either by spraying cooking oil  or  you can line tray with aluminum foil.  Liberally spray baking dish with oil. Use regular cooking oil not the ready made cooking sprays, you can fill cooking oil in any plastic spray and use it to grease the baking dish. (This home made oil spray is very useful while cooking.) Place marinated fish steaks in the prepared baking dish/tray. Spray little oil over the steaks.
4. Make sure you preheat an oven for 10 minutes on low broil setting before placing baking tray. Set the oven on broil high heat setting, place baking tray 10-12 inch away from upper heating coil. Broil for 8-10 minutes. Pull the oven rack partially out and turn over steaks by using spatula or tongs. Do turning with care. (use oven mitts and stay safe) Let it broil for another 8-10 minutes. 
5. Now set the broil heat setting to low.You may spray little oil over steaks to get more crisp coating. Turn the steaks one or two  times more, be gentle and skillful while turning to save crisp marinade layer. After 20-25 minutes  shut off the oven, move tray to the middle rack and let steaks stay in oven for another 10 minutes. You may cut down oven time if you are using much thinner steaks that is less than one inch thickness. 
6. Enjoy with rice and roti. For preparing  King mackerel sandwich, burger or wrap, remove bones from the baked steaks and use boneless fish chunks. 

Marinated King Mackerel steaks  ready to get in the oven.

Oven Broiled / baked King Fish /Seer Fish/ Surmai steaks.

Seer Fish / King Fish lunch enjoyed on July 10th 2011.

Cooking with Mix Greens - Bok choy StirFry with Red radish, Spring onions, Dill - Seasoned with garlic and green chilies.

Locally grown fresh produce is full of flavors and nutrition, adding them to routine meal is a natural way to stay healthy. I had cooked Bok choy stirfry few years ago and some how I never picked this vegetable for long time. Recently Martin, Chef and owner of Martin's Curry rice shared one nice locally grown bok choy with me, I was delighted to have Bok choy back in my Green vegetable list. Martin's restaurant is based on a Japanese concept. He serves Red, Green,Yellow curry in Mongolian style, his curries are infused with Indian spices. My favorite curry sauce is Red with extra spicy hint. I choose  fish, tofu and locally grown veggies with perfectly cooked fluffy brown rice. Please check Martin's Curry Rice restaurant website  for unique  healthy weekly changing  menu. Martin strongly supports using  locally sourced ingredients, his vibrant cooking spirit is very inspirational. Thanks Martin for  inspirations to cook healthy meals.

I divided one bokchoy in two portions and  cooked  two stir fries with different combination of greens This is simple stir fry recipe with garlic, green chilies and onions.

1)   Bok Choy Stir-Fry - This is first portion of 5-6 leaves. I cooked with combination of  red radish and spring onions.

Ingredients :-

• 5-6 leaves of matured bok choy - chop out the  bottom hard portion of stem, separate stem and green leaf - slice stem and finely chop greens.
• 10-12 Red Radish - trim both ends and make thin round slices.
• 1 bunch spring onions - trim roots, separate greens and white onion part. Finely slice white onion part and chop the greens.
• 3-4 green chilies - finely chopped
• 10-12 fresh garlic cloves - make thin lengthwise slices.
• 1 Tb.spoon oil

Note : Rinse all greens under running water several times to get rid of sand and  other impurities.

Cooking Process :-

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in thick gauge pot. (min 3 quart size) Add sliced white onion portion - saute for 2 minutes over  medium heat.
2. Add green chilies and garlic - saute for a minute.
3. Add  sliced white stem portion of bok choy + sliced red radish - saute for another four minutes.
4. Now add  chopped spring onion greens and bok choy greens - mix all well, sprinkle little salt and saute over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring with wooden spoon.
5. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes without lid. Enjoy with rice and roti.

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2)   Bok Choy Stir-Fry - This is cooked with remaining leaves and stir fried with combination of  Dill, green spring onions (Kandyachi Pat).

Ingredients :-

• 8-10 leaves of  Mature Bok choy - chop out bottom hard portion of the stem, separate greens and stem, slice stems and chop the greens.
• 1 bunch - Spring onions - trim roots, separate greens and white onion part. Finely slice white onion part and chop the greens.
• 1 bunch Dill - cut the root portion and finely chop dill greens.
• 1 Whole garlic bulb - peel each clove and make thin lengthwise slices.
• 3-4 green chilies - finely chop.
• 1.5 Tb.spoon oil.

Note : Rinse all greens under running water several times to get rid of sand and  other impurities.

Cooking Process:-

1. Heat 1.5 tablespoon oil in a heavy gauge large size pot. Add sliced white onion portion - saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
2. Next add sliced garlic and chopped green chilies - saute for one minute.
3. Now add  sliced white stem portion of bok choy and continue to cook by stirring at an interval with wooden spoon, about  4-5 minutes. Maintain medium heat.
4. Add bok choy greens, spring onion greens and salt  - saute  over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring as you saute.
5. Finally mix chopped Dill greens and saute for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, adjust salt seasoning. Reduce heat to lowest setting, let it cook for 2-3 minutes more. Serve hot with roti and rice.

Dill (shepu), Bokchoy, Spring onions, green chilies, garlic cloves.

Cooking stage - Before adding chopped Dill

       (Bok choy Stir-Fry-1)            (Bok choy Stir-Fry-2)