Spicy Fish Fry

Ingredients

• King Fish - 500 gm
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 3 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Fennel powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Coconut milk (thick) - 1/4 cup
• Pearl onions - 12 nos
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Ginger/garlic paste (optional) - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 3/4 cup

To garnish

• Onion - 1/2
• Carrot - 1/2

Preparation:

1. Clean and wash the fish using turmeric powder and rock salt (if available) or fine salt.
2. Make a paste of pearl onions. Squeeze the juice of tamarind and add these and all the above ingredients to the fish. Marinate it for 2 hours.
3. Then heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Add the fish and fry it in a low to medium heat. Keep flipping to avoid burning. Keep adding oil at regular intervals.
4. Once done garnish with few onion rings and carrots.

Ceylon Egg Curry

Ingredients 

• Eggs - 5
• Onion -1 (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 11/2 tbsp
• Green chilli - 2 (slitted) 

• Oil  -  2  tbsp
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch size
• Cardamom - 1
• Cloves - 2
• Kalpasi (black stone flower) - 2
• Curry Leaves - hand full

• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander / Dhaniya Powder - 3 tsp
• Coconut Milk - 1 cup 
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (to garnish)

Method

To prepare steamed egg cake - In a large bowl beat the eggs along with the yolk till its quantity doubles. Transfer it to another bowl that is greased with ghee or oil. Now pressure cook it in a medium flame for 3 to 4 whistles with one cup of water by closing the bowl with a lid. Once the egg cake cools down cut them into squares.

Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, kalpasi, curry leaves. After few seconds add onion and salt and fry till golden brown, mean time add turmeric powder, green chilly and ginger garlic paste. Then add tomato and wait till it is mashy. Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder. After raw smell settles down add the egg cake and coconut milk and leave it to simmer for 5 to 8 min.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips

* Cake could be cut in any shape as desired but the square gives it a paneer look and feel
* Adding salt after adding onion cooks the onion faster. I usually add salt in two halves once after adding onion and once after adding tomato so that it cooks faster.
* consistency could be varied depending on your main dish (roti/chapathi/rice) 

Mutton Dalcha

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 1 kg
• Toor dal - 1/2 cup
• Channa dal - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 2
• Curry leaves - a bunch
• Tomato - 2
• Potato - 2 
• Radish - 2 
• Carrot - 1
• Brinjal - 4 small
• Ginger/Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Green chilly - 2
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Spices:

• Sambar/curry powder - 3 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 1/2 tsp

To season:

• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1"
• Cloves - 3
• Cardamom - 1
• Bay leaf - 1

To Garnish:

• Mint leaves
• Coriander leaves

Preparation

1. Add toor dal, channa dal and 1 tsp turmeric powder in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles and keep it aside (do not mash the dal). 
2. Pressure cook mutton separately with 1 tsp turmeric powder for 3 whistles. 
3. Soak tamarind in warm water.
4. Heat oil in a large pan, add "to season" once it splutters, add onion, curry leaves and salt, after few seconds add ginger/garlic paste, fry till it turns golden brown . 
5. Now add all the vegetables and green chilly,  tomatoes and give it a nice stir. 
6. Once the vegetables are half cooked add the mutton and 'spices'. After the vegetables are completely cooked, add tamarind juice and the cooked dal. Let it simmer for 10 min. 
7. Garnish with mint and coriander leaves.