Chow Chow Khow

This post is on how to make khousuey - a burmese noodle dish with condiments. It tastes a bit like Laksa except its probably healthier as the soup is made of lentils ( chana dal ). Its a complete meal by itself and we had it for dinner yesterday. Accompanying that was an awesome cake baked by my friend whose pic I can post today but dont have the recipe : ( ( maybe the next post )

Khousuey

Ingredients

Egg noodle – 1packet - not Maggie

300 gms chana dal

garlic – 1 tspn chopped

ginger – ½ tspn chopped

lemon – 4 tspn juiced

200 gms coconut milk

2 tspn peanuts – roasted and crushed

Chicken shredded- 1 medium bowlful

Prawn – 100-150 gms - cooked and shredded

Green chilly chopped and soaked in vinegar

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 medium bowl

Paprika crushed in oil

( 2 tblspn paprika in a small bowl, 4 tbspn hot oil. Mix the paprika in the hot oil. And whisk. Set aside for sprinkling.)

Maggie noodles – Fry dried noodle to sprinkle on top

Boiled eggs - chopped into fine pieces

How to make

Boil the egg noodles with a little salt and set aside in large bowl.

Soak Chana dal with salt ( to taste ) for 10-15 mins and boil it in the pressure cooker. Blend to a smooth paste. In a wok, put the chana dal blend and hot water. After one boil, put coconut milk and simmer. This soup will be treated further later on. Set aside for the moment.

Now, prepare the condiments which have to be sprinkled. In a hot wok, put 1 tspn oil, fry garlic and ginger and set aside. Fry shredded chicken and keep aside.Fry the prawns lightly and keep aside. Chop spring onions and keep aside. Fry the dry Maggie noodles and keep aside.

Back to the chana dal soup. Put it back on the flame in low. Put in half of the shredded and fried chicken ( the other half is for garnishing on top ) Put in some chopped green chilly, the garlic and ginger ( fried earlier). Simmer. Put in 1-2 tbspn lemon juice in the mixture. Simmer for 10 mins in v low flame. The consistency of the dal mixture has to be judged. It should be free flowing and not pasty.

To Serve

In bowls, arrange the items to be sprinkled. Crushed peanuts, Chicken shredded, shrimp or prawns, boiled egg, lemon juice, green chilly, coriander leaves, spring onions, crispy noodles etc.

Now in a flat soup bowl, put a serving of egg noodles. Put in plenty of the soup. Sprinkle all the condiments as per taste and top with coriander leaves. Eat HOT.

Grilled Fish in Pepper & Orange juice.

Ok, something healthy now.
Normally grilled fish comes out healthy but not so "yummy". This one would appeal more to the Indian palate as it has a nice aroma of "masalas" without being "curried".

Grilled Fish in Pepper & Orange Juice

Ingredients

Sea fish - Bhetki or Sole works well - 10 pieces of medium size ( around 2.5 inch by 1.5 inch)
Half cup orange juice ( can be fresh or canned )
1 large red onion
Paprika - 1 tspn
Olive oil - 1 tspn
Marinade - see below.

For the marinade
- 1.5 tbspn garlic and green chilly paste
- 1 tbspn ginger paste
- 1 tbspn freshly ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbspn cooking oil
- 3-4 tablespoon lemon juice

Whisk marinade into smooth paste. Coat the pieces of fish in this and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Remove from fridge.
Take a shallow baking tray. Chop 2 onions into large discs and saute lightly. Arrange marinated fish pieces on tray and spread the fried onion rings on it. Now spread orange juice lightly and evenly over the fish. Sprinkle paprika (to taste) and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Pre-heat oven at 170. Grill for 30-40 mins. Serve hot - sprinkled with coriander.

Steamed Fished in Mustard & Tangy Cucumber Salad

Day 2 : Nani put out a spread in the good ol' Bong style. Sorshe Machch ( Steamed Fish in Mustard ), Mutton korma, Luchi and Chana's dal. Accompanying that was a quick and interesting cucumber salad. Nushi helped with the chopping of cucumber, veges, making of dough and serving everything to everyone.

If you type Sorshe Machch or Mustard Fish on Google, you will get at least a hundred and fifty recipe options. But this version is our favourite and most of all its been tested at least a hundred and fifty times. Very lil scope of screwing up. I will put up this recipe today.

The other interesting one was the Cucumber Salad...had a mustardy twist to it.

Here goes.

Steamed Fish in Mustard ( Sorshe Machch )

Ingredients

Any fresh water fish (buy one with less bones) - 10-12 pieces
Mustard ( black ) - 50 gms
Khus khus - 1 tablespn
3 green chillies
Tomato paste - 1 big or 2 small
Turmeric - 1 tspn
Red chilly powder - 1 tspn
Salt to taste
A flat steel container with cover for steaming the fish

How to Make

Smear salt and turmeric on fish and keep for 20 mins. Lightly fry and keep aside.

Soak mustard seeds, khus khus in hot water for 15-20 mins. Blend well with 2 green chillies and 1 tspn salt.

In the container, put the mustard paste, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilly powder and tomato paste ( you could also use finely chopped tomato) and salt to taste. Dilute with water if necessary. Smear fish pieces in this paste and arrange. Add in 2 green chillies - slit in the middle. Sprinkle some chopped coriander for aroma.

Cover with the airtight lid.

Place this in a very large work or vessel partially filled with water. Cover the wok with a lid so that the steam doesn't dissipate. This wok with the container has to be put on high flame for 10 mins. Then lower the flame and cook for 15-20 mins.

Serve hot ( this is important ) with plain steamed rice. Sprinkle coriander leaves as well in the final serving.


Now the tangy Cucumber Salad.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 or 2 large cucumbers.
1 red onion
200 gms yoghurt
1 spoon mustard sauce
Salt
White & Black pepper
Lemon juice - 2 tblspoon
1 spoon Olive oil
Sugar 1 tspn

How to make

Peel and slice cucumbers into fine discs. Cut them further into semi circles. Take 1 tblspoon salt and smear it onto the sliced cucumber and keep aside for 20 mins. Drain the water from this.
Slice the red onions fine and toss in with the cucumber.

In a separate bowl, make the yoghurt dressing.
Beat the yoghurt into a smooth consistency. Add in mustard, salt, peppers, oil, sugar, lemon juice and whisk smooth again.
Mix in with the cucumber & onion mix 20 mins before serving.
Serve chilled.

Soup for the Soul

This blog will follow some bonding moments between my mom and my daughter ( all of 7 years 4 months) - brought together ( apart from their blood ties ) by the common love for cooking. My mom - a veteran in the kitchen and a super duper cook by any standard and my daughter - who has found a new place she loves in the house - the kitchen !!
I will post here all the recipes that they are making together in the next 2 weeks and are having a great time in the process.

They started today with the Soup For the Soul.

Ingredients

Chicken stock 5-6 cups
Garlic 2 tablespoons
Chicken mince 1 big bowl
Knorr chicken cube 1
Olive oil 1 spoon
Coriander leaves Chopped - 2 to 3 tablespoons
French Baguette 1 loaf
Eggs As many people
White pepper As per taste
Salt If required

How to Make

Boil 5-6 cups of stock on high flame. The stock should be light.
Throw in chicken mince balls ( spoon the mince into balls 5 mins prior to cooking ) and boil for 2 mins. Put in one Knorr Seasoning Cube. Boil for another 4-5 mins on medium flame.

In another pan, heat the olive oil. Put in 1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic and saute lightly.
Put this mixture in the soup. Boil the soup for another 3-4 mins.

Now, cut the baguette pieces into 1 by 1 inch and keep aside. Make around 20-25 pieces ready.
(Rest of the baguette can be made into garlic bread...goes fabulously with the soup)

For Serving.
Break eggs into the simmering soup and stir ( you can put one for each person ). Simmer in low flame for 30 seconds. Now put in the baguette pieces. Follow immediately with the chopped coriander leaves. Serve immediately. Satisfy your soul : ))