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Being from the state of Orissa where fish is the staple food, we are so used to eating fish and we even enjoy eating fish eggs and fish oil . Fish eggs are available only during the breeding season and really delicious when prepared nicely. So here is a simple recipe to make fitters out of fish eggs which is really simple and delicious. Ingredients: Fish Eggs: From one fish ( not sure how much it weighed  for us) Green chili: 2-3 finely chopped ( adjust as per taste) Onion: 1 small Finely chopped Garlic: 2 crushed Besan: 2 tbsp (add a little at a time till you reach a good consistency) salt: as per taste turmeric powder: 1 tsp Chilli powder: 1 tsp Oil for cooking. Procedure. Put all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and mix together.  You will have to use a fork to mash up the fish eggs and make the whole thing into a thick paste. Heat oil in a shallow pan or tawa . Add a spoon full of the mix in the tawa and adjust the shape.  ...

Baigan Bharta is a popular punjabi dish. It takes on a lot of prep work and cooking. I should say all the work is worth it. Its really delicious. But in Orissa there we prepare a different version of it, that is quick and easy. Its very popular in every household and is enjoyed a lot. Ingredients: Baigana ( brinjal/eggplant ):  1 large Onion :   1 medium finely chopped Garlic: 4  cloves finely chopped. Green chilies:  2 Mustard oil -2 tbsp Salt to taste Procedure: Brush Baigana(eggplant) with oil and roast it on a medium flame. Frequently turn the eggplant upside down, until fully roasted. Once done , hold it under running cold water or in a bowl of water. Cool it and peel off the blackened skin. Mash the flesh. Add the finely chopped onion, garlic, green chilies, sorisa tela(mustard oil) ,salt and mix it well and serve.  In another version you can roast so dry red chili and use it instead of green chilli. It makes for a g...

Guacamole is an avocado-based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine it has also become part of American cuisine as a dip. Our favorite guacamole is from Chilli's. Every time we go there we can't get enough of it. Ingredients:  Haas ripe avocado: 1 Squeezed lemon juice:6  tablespoons Jalapeno pepper: 1  minced  Shallots : 1  cup small-diced  Garlic:3  large cloves minced  Salt: 2  teaspoons Black Pepper: 2  teaspoons Tomato: 1/2  medium seeded and small-diced   Procedure: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the lemon juice, Jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and toss well. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and salt and pepper to ta...

Season of mangos is almost over and I so gonna miss this delicious fruit. We mostly buy it from costco as they are always good and fresh. This time I Tanmaya got a different variety of mango, Keitt Mango. The Keitt is round and very fat and is the largest of the Florida mangoes, running from two to three pounds. Its green skin may or may not have a touch of red. Because it has less color and less aroma than the Hayden, Kent, or Tommy Atkins, people often pass it by because they think it's not ripe when it actually is. Although it's not quite as fragrant or sweet as other varieties, the Keitt has a full flavor, tart and lemony, and a smooth, fiber-free flesh. Even though this mango was really delicious but there were too many and I wanted to finish them before they start rotting, so I decided to make amba khatta out of it. Its kind of a chutney but it is cooked. Ingredients: Keitt Mango: 1  Curry Leaves: 1 strand Green Chilli: 2 slit in the middle Sugar: ...

Raita is a important part of Indian meal, there are so many ways to incorporate raita as a part of your meal. Dahi wali Bidhi is another variation to the same. Ingredients: Bhindi(Okra): 6-8 medium sizes . Dahi: 1cup Water: 1/2cup Curry Leaves: 4-5 Mustard Seeds: 1tsp Oil: 1tsp Oil for deep frying Salt as per taste Sugar: 1 pinch Procedure: Wash and pat dry the bhindi. Cut each into 4-5 pieces. Sprinkle salt on the bhindi and let it sit for 5 mins. In the mean while heat oil for deep frying. Deep fry the bhindi till cooked through. Remove from oil and let the extra oil drain out. In a bowl bite the curd into till its smooth and water, salt as per taste(keep in mind eggplant has salt in it which will infuse into curd after some time) and sugar and mix it. In a pan heat 2 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. As they stop cracking add green chili, curry leaves and crushed garlic. Fry till garlic is golden. Add this to the bowl of curd and mix. Add the fried bhindi...

Mashed potatoes goes great with grilled chicken, fish or veggies. I and love to replace or rice with mashed potatoes if there is an option in the restaurants menu.  So every time I bake fish I always serve in on a bed of mashed potatoes and with a side of veggies, trying to get a balanced meal here :) So here is another recipe for mashed potato. This is my 4th entry for the 4th of july. Ingredients Potatoes: 2-3 pounds peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks garlic: 4 cloves peeled water Salt: 1 teaspoon  unsalted butter: 3 tablespoons (42 g)  plain yogur: 1 cup (240 ml)  Parmesan cheese: 1/4 cup (25 g) grated  fresh thyme:1 sprig leaves removed fresh parsley:2 sprigs chopped sage:3 leaves fresh chopped paprika: 1/4 teaspoon  Procedure: Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C. In the 3-quart pot, cover the potatoes and garlic with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain. Stir the...

Now what can be more American than the good old, mouth watering french fries.   Even though it originated in Belgium and its name itself has French in it, some how french fries are like an integral part of any American food joints. You go to McDonalds, JIB or Chili's, you would get fries every where. You order sandwich you would get fries, you order burgers you would get fries. So even though it was not born in America its quite American. Here is my second entry for 4th of July. Ingredients: Russet Potatoes: 2 large Corn Starch: 2 tsp Salt: 1 tsp Oil: for deep frying Procedure: Heat the oil for frying. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch wide strips. Soak the potatoes in salt water for about 10 minutes Drain and pat dry the potatoes. Sprinkle corn flour and mix well. Fry the potatoes in the oil till it turns golden brown all over. Remove from heat and serve immediately with your favorite sandwich, burger or just enjoy with sauce and soft drink :)   F...

Raita is generally is a curd based side dish. There are a lot of varieties of raita prepared all over the country like cucumber raita, boondi raita, tomato raita . These goes great with biryani, pulao and lots of flavored rice. Dahi baingan is another member of this family. It goes great with zeera rice, veg pulo, Kanika  and a lot of more vegetarian meals. Ingredients:  eggplant  : 1 large cut into long 1/3 inch slice Curd: 1 cup Green Chili: 2-3 sliced Curry Leaves: 5-6 Garlic: 2 cloves crushed Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp cooking oil: 2 tbsp Salt: as per taste Sugar: 1 tsp Water: 1/2 cup oil for deep frying Procedure: Mix the eggplant slices with 1tsp of salt and let it marinate for 5 mins. Fry the eggplant till golden and little crispy. Drain and pat it using a kitchen towel. In a bowl bite the curd into till its smooth and water, salt as per taste(keep in mind eggplant has salt in it which will infuse into curd after some time) and suga...

Tomato Khatta is one of many oriya dishes that are prepared during auspicious occasions and at temples as prasad. This dish has a nice blend of sweet and sour flavors. This is my brothers favorite dish and believe it or not he can eat only this any time of the day. Ingredients: Tomato: 4 large cut into small pieces Seeedless Dates: 12 Sugar: 1 cup Salt: 1 pinch Green Chilli: 4 slit in the middle Curry Leaves: 4-5 Ginger : 1 inch grated Roasted jeera and red chili powder: 1 tsp Pancha Phutan: 1 tbsp Oil: 2tbsp Procedure: Heat oil in a pan and add pancha phutan. As the pancha phutan stops spluttering add the green chilli, curry leaves and ginger. Add the chopped tomato, dates and salt and sauté for few minutes. Cover and cook till the tomato is soft. Add the sugar and cook till the tomato and dates are cooked through and all the sugar is melted and the consistency thickens. To end it add a tsp of roasted jeer and res chili powder and mix. You can also add g...

Capsicum is a vegetable that comes in different colors and is grown almost throughout the world. But it is native to America and in fact has been cultivated byfarmers in tropical America for thousands of years. Its also known as bell pepper or chili. Apart from being good in taste it has many medicinal values. It is very good for eyes and skin. It is used as spices, medicine and of-course vegetable :) Generally Stuffed capsicum is prepared with whole capsicums but to be honest its really big for one serving so I decided to go little different. Ingredients: Capsicum: 1 Potato: 1 medium boiled Onion: 1 small finely chopped Green Chili: 2 finely chopped Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped Salt : as per taste Coriander Powder: 1 tsp Cumin Powder: 1 tsp Chat Masala: 1 tsp Red Chili Powder : 1 tsp (add more if you like spicy) Oil for cooking Procedure: Wash and cut the capsicum into 1/2 inch rings. Mash the potato and add salt as per ...