Meet Mirsang/Salt & Chilly Paste

Meet Mirsang/Salt & Chilly Paste

The Chilly paste should not be watery

This humble salt and chilly paste is a must in all Mangalorean homes who eat fish. (Meet = slat and Mirsang = Chilly in Konkani). This paste stored in a glass bottle in the corner of your refrigerator comes handy at all times. You can marinate the potato and brinjal slices in this paste and shallow fry. 

You need

Red dry chillies (byadgi) - 50 Nos.

Jeera - 1 tsp

Pepper - 5 Nos.

Salt - 4 tbsps

Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp

Vinegar - 500 ml

Method

1. Take a dry mixi jar and add all the ingredients except vinegar.

2. Make a coarse powder of the above.

3. Now add 2/3 of the vinegar and grind for few more minutes.

4. Add the remaining vinegar little by little till you get a thick paste.

5. Store it in a clean dry glass bottle and keep it in the fridge.

6. Use this to marinate the the fish, potato or brinjals. Shallow fry them.

Tips: 

To prepare vinegar, boil and cool 450 mil of water. Add 50 ml of cooking acid to this and keep it ready before you start grinding the chillies.

Don't make the chilli paste too watery. Fish tastes better if it is marinated well with thick paste.
Use byadgi chillies for good colour. Double the quantity of items, if you need more quantity.

You may also like to try Silver Fish Gravy

Vanilla Custard

Vanilla Custard

You need:

500 ml milk 

2 table spoons vanilla custard powder

2- 3 table spoons sugar (adjust to taste)

Dry fruits of your choice

Mold: Smear little ghee or butter inside the mold and keep it ready. If ready made mould is not available as shown in the picture, use a nice steel or ceramic bowl .

Method:

Take half a cup of milk and dissolve 2 tbsp custard to make a smooth paste. keep aside.

Take rest of the milk in a thick bottomed vessel and bring it to boil. Add sugar. Check the taste. 

Bring the heat to minimum and slowly add custard paste and keep stirring. The milk thickens.

After 3 minute, put off the heat. Leave for a minute and slowly pour the custard into prepared mold.

Sprinkle dry fruits of your choice. Let it cool and set in the mold. Refrigerate it if you like.

To unmold: Cover the mold with well filling plate slightly bigger than mold. Place it upside down (lid dowanwards). Slowly lift the mold. Cut into slices and serve.

Alternately, you can place the dry fruits in the mold before pouring the custard.

SWEET CORN ON THE COB

Sweet corn on the cob

Sweet corn on the cob

This is an easy snack which is rich in fiber and minerals. As you eat it slowly biting it off the cob, by the time you finish it you really feel full and sated. Children love this, because of the tangy and spicy masala. Good for weight watchers and others alike as this snack doesn’t have any fat whatsoever.

Sweet corn cobs – one or two

Lime – one half

Salt – ¼ tsp

Red chilly powder – a small pinch or less

1.     Peel the corn off its leaves. Carefully remove all the small hairs around the corn.

2.     Put half a glass of water in cooker and place the corn cobs, close the lid and cook till 1 whistle. If the cooker is small cut the cob into two. (Just hold the corn cob in both hands and break it).

3.     After five minutes open the cooker, let the steam escape. Take out the corn cobs. Let them cool for a few minutes.

4.     Meanwhile take a small plate; gently squeeze the lemon juice into it. Try to retain the shape of halved lemon.

5.     Add chilly powder and salt. Adjust the taste.

6.     Now dip the halved lemon into this mixture and rub it gently over the corn cob turning the cob around. Repeat it till the entire corn cob is covered with the masala.

7.     Serve immediately to the waiting hands.

Tips: You can boil any number of corns at a time till one whistle. Don’t leave the corns in the cooker for too long. Instead, you can boil them much in advance, drain the water and store it. Apply the masala just before serving, otherwise lime juice drains off.

My son sticks the barbeque stick into the cob and fries it over stove flame after coating masala for extra flavour and crunch.

I always like to eat the sweet corn without masala specially lime juice(to avoid tingling in the teeth) which tastes just as well for me.

SWEET CORN SPECIAL SNACK

SWEET CORN SPECIAL

This is an easy to make snack which is rich in fiber and minerals which can be prepared in a jiffy. I have added carrot for some extra colour and nutrition. Kids who don’t like to eat vegetables may be served this to increase their veggy intake. Children love this, because of the tangy and spicy masala. A welcoming snack for the hungry kids on their return from school and play. Good for weight watchers and others alike as this snack doesn’t have any fat whatsoever. Can be also packed as mid-day snack both by kids and grown ups. 

Sweet corn kernels – 200 gms

Juice of 1 Lime (adjust to taste)

Salt –1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – a small pinch or less

Onion – 1 medium minced

Grated ginger – 1 pinch (optional)

Carrot – 1 grated (optional)

Coriander leaves – finely chopped

              

• Wash the sweet corn kernels and drain them in a colander. Place them in a bowl, pour half a glass of water. Place the bowl into a cooker in which water is added. Close the lid and boil the corn till 1 whistle. Turn off the heat.
• After 10 minutes take out the boiled sweet corn kernels and drain the water.keep aside.
• In the mean time, take a bowl and all the other things one by one, mix well and check the taste by adjusting salt, lime and chilly.
• Now add the cooked and drained corn to the ready mix and mix gently. 
• Serve for an enjoyable evening.

Tip: you can prepare this and keep it ready for children even when you are not around. Only thing to remember is not to add lime juice. If left for long, water accumulates at the bottom of the bowl which the kids may not like. However, this tastes quite good without lime juice also. If you are in hurry and no time to grate carrot or clean coriander leaves, not to worry.

Variation: You can add grated mango in season instead of lime juice. Grated raw mango blends well and gives a nice aroma and taste to the snack. 

You may also like to try other corn & carrot recipes:

PANEER / BABY CORN MASALA

Sweet corn on the cob

Sure this  Twistato   would be loved by all.

This CARROT SUKKA is a simple yet healthy subji for chapathi/rice.

Carrot Rice

Also try this super easy but healthy snack CHURIMURI / MURMURA / PUFFED RICE MASALA

Micro waved Sweet corn on the cob

Micro waved  Sweet corn on the cob

Micro waved  Sweet corn on the cob:

This is an easy to do snack which is rich in fiber and minerals. As you eat it slowly biting it off the cob, by the time you finish it, you really feel full and sated. Children love this, because of the tangy and spicy masala. Good for weight watchers and others alike as this snack doesn’t have any fat whatsoever.

Sweet corn cobs – one or two

Lime – one half

Salt – ¼ tsp

Red chilly powder – a small pinch or less

1.    Peel the corn off its leaves. Carefully remove all the small hairs around the corn.

2.    Wrap the corn cob with two of its leaves and place it in the microwave and for 4 minutes. Slowly unwrap the leaves, turn around the corn cab and microwave it for another 4 minutes.

3.    Meanwhile take a small plate; gently squeeze the lemon juice into it. Try to retain the shape of halved lemon.

4.    Add chilly powder and salt. Adjust the taste.

5.    Now dip the halved lemon into this mixture and rub it gently over the microwaved corn cob turning the cob around. Repeat it till the entire corn cob is covered with the masala.

6.    Serve immediately to the waiting hands.

Tips: You can  microwave 3 corn cobs at a time. Don’t overcrowd the oven for best results. Microwave it for 2 or 3 more minutes if you like.

Handy Tips on Coconut

COCONUT

After breaking the coconut, grate and put it in a clean box and freeze it and use whenever you need it. (Grating the refrigerated coconut is difficult.).

If you can, keep the box out for 5 minutes prior to your need. Use a sharp spoon to loosen the frozen coconut. While grinding the frozen coconut use warm water to avoid traces of oil.

Fry the coconut which gives a not so fresh smell to make the curry more tasty and aromatic.

If the coconut comes out whole while breaking it or grating, cut it into bite sized pieces. Run it in the mixer for a minute, and you have finely grated coconut at your disposal.

Don’t discard the water which you find inside the coconut after breaking it. Drink it or add to the curry. Coconut water is very nutritious.

For a bit of fun serve the coconut water in the shell to your kids. They really love it.

METHI PULAO

METHI PULAO

                                         

You need:

• Methi leaves  -  2 cups (picked & cleaned methi leaves only. Avoid adding stems. Chop roughly)
• Green Peas - 1 cups    (if using dried peas, soak overnight and semi boil before cooking this recipe)
• Rice - 2 cups
• Onions -2 medium (sliced thinly or minced)
• lime juice - 2 tsp
• salt

For the masala to be ground to a fine paste

• Coconut -  half cup
• Green chillies - 5
• Coriander leaves -  half cup (cleaned)
• Mint leaves 10-15 leaves
• Ginger 1”           
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Onion -  1
• Kuskus - 2 tsp         
• Cinnamon - 1”        
• Cloves - 4

Method:

1.     Wash the rice in 2-3 changes of water and soak it in 1.5 cups of water for 15 minutes, drain.

2.     Preserve this water and start boiling it when you start step 3.

3.     Heat oil, fry the onion till brown. 

4.      add green peas and methi leaves, fry for 2-3 minutes

5.     Add the ground paste and fry for 3 minutes

6.     Now add the preserved boiling water (step 2).

7.     When the water starts boiling add rice and slowly mix everything. Once this comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat, add salt. Do the taste check. Adjust salt and if you like add a pinch of sugar. Close the lid and boil for five minutes. Exactly after 5 minutes add ghee, close the tight fitting lid and turn off the heat. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Check the time, open the lid and slowly fluff the rice with a fork. Viola, you are ready to serve!

8.     If you are using a cooker, after adding water add ghee, salt, check the taste, if you like add a pinch of sugar and cook till 1 whistle. Leave for a minimum of 20 minutes before opening the lid. Sprinkle minced coriander leaves and serve.

9.     Can be eaten as it is. Tastes best if served with curd raita or pappad

Tip:      Water may vary depending on the rice. However, I always use 1.5 measure for whatever the quantity of rice I use. If don’t have a measuring cup, use a tumbler or cup for measuring the rice and water.

            This dish can also be cooked with any white rice which you use daily. In that case use the water as per your measure.             

You may also like this one pot meal  CARROT RICE                        

BRAHMI CHUTNEY

BRAHMI CHUTNEY

You need

Brahmi leaves – 1 cup (cleaned and washed)

Ginger – ½ “

Green chilli – 2-3

Butter milk – 1 cup

Salt to taste

1.    Grind everything except butter milk to a smooth paste.

2.    Add butter milk to the paste and check the taste.

3.    Serve with rice and before lunch like a soup.

Tips: Brahmi/Karno in Konkani/Ondhelaga in Kannada is known to boost memory. If you have access to brahmi leaves, can have this daily to boost memory. Reduce the use of green chilly in that case.

This goes well before one pot meal like carrot rice or methi pulao.