AMAAZING FISH - Schezwan tilapia

This dish is two phase, first is something you can have by itself, and then it's leftover is used in recipe 2 to make a killer fish dish.
Recipe 1: Garlic crusted tilapia
Fish: Get some good Tilapia, some other white fish might do
Crust coating:
Standard ground breadcrumbs
Panko breadcrumbs
Red Garlic dry chutney (get at Indian grocery store - the type you eat with Batata wada)
Ginger powder (few pinches)
Kosher salt

Dip fish in egg wash (egg & milk) and coat with the crust.
Heat pan to 4, put in some oil and butter and sautee the fish 2 min each side.

DONE!

Recipe 2: Schezwan fish
Prep sauce in a bowl - oyster sauce, soy sauce, red vinegar (Chinese)
In a pan heat oil & butter
Put in ginger, garlic, scallions
Plop in a teaspoon of Schezwan chili's immersed in oil (get at Chinese store)
Cut up mushrooms (handful) into very small bits and sautee in pan, Cut up left over fish and fry in pan (2 min)
Pour sauce over everything and heat for another 2 minutes.

AAAAMAZING outcome! For the first time I told the wife that this dish needed absolutely no improvement, nothing to touch, nothing to change, no next level!! It's as good as the Red Lotus Fish in Chili bean sauce - one of our favourite dishes at a local Chapel Hill restaurant: http://www.redlotusasiankitchen.com/

Uttam's Okra

My favourite vegetable being Okra, Uttam sent me his recipe to try out - will have to try it over the weekend.

Ingredients:

whole okra

half red onion

dry whole red chillies

dry split white urad daal

salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, besan, coriander powder, chat masala

oil

Steps

chop 1/2 red onion into long cuts along the node. separate out the layers with hand.

take 1 packet of frozen whole okra. defrost, chop off the ends and give each a cut length wise.

heat about 3 teaspoon oil in pan

once oil is hot sprinkle some 'heeng' (asafoetida)

next pour in some rye into the oil, after about 10 sec. throw in some 4 medium sized dry whole red chillies into the pan

when about half the rye has cracked, pour 2-3 teaspoon of split urad daal (white, without skin)

keep stirring

after the urad daal has turned near golden yellow (this won't take long), throw in the chopped onions

stir and stir

when onions start to sear add some salt (tip: salt helps onions caramalize faster)

pour another teaspoon oil

throw in the okra

stir and stir until the starchy threads disappear

sprinkle some salt, turmeric and mix properly

reduce heat

sprinkle red chilli powder, coriander powder

mix

evenly sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon gram flour (besan) and mix properly

finally sprinkle some chat masala and mix one last time

Matt & Crystal 6/6/2009

Why the blog? because it's an easy way to remember recipies and also keep a note of the various events. We both love to cook and entertain. We come up with creative recipies and often forget how to recreate them.

Had Matt & Crystal over for supper on 6/6. Had a great relaxing time below is the menu.

Menu:
Appetizer:

• Pani Puri

Entree:

• Seekh kabob wraps - Chicken & Beef

• Pulao

Desert:

• Hot Kala Jamun with Hagen Dans 5 Vanilla ice-cream

Drinks:

• With Appetizers: Mango/Apple Martini
• With Entree: Tingtsao beer, Fat tire beer
• Before Desert: Pomegranate martini
  

Pani Puri - made by wife (she makes kickass pani puri pani), too many ingredients to mention here. No packaged stuff other than the tamrind-date chutney and the actual puri's.

Seekh kabob wraps
Wraps made of Malaysian Flaky paratha's (Kawan frozen paratha's from Indian grocery store)
Chicken kabob:
2 lb ground chicken,
Ginger, Garlic, Chili paste - fresh
Kosher Salt
Garam masala
browned Graham/Besan flour (help bind)
browned onions (give moisture)
Coriander

Beef kabob:
1lb Angus Sirloin ground beef (not too lean)
Ginger, Garlic, Chili paste - fresh
Kosher Salt
1/2 pack Shan Seekh Kabob masala (sorry I cheated)
browned Graham/Besan flour (help bind)
browned onions (give moisture)
Coriander

Along with kabob serve two sauces for the wrap
1) Cucumber koshimber / raita (made by wife)
Sour Cream, Yogurt
Grated Cucumber
Salt, Pepper, Sugar (pinch of each)
2) Green Coriander, Mint, chili chutney - fresh (made by wife)

Drinks

Mango Martini (with Vodka)
1 shot vodka
1 shot apple schnapps
1 1/2 shot Mazza Mango juice
1/2 shot lime aid
1/2 shot lemon aid
pinch of kosher salt
Shaken with ice and served!

Green Mango Martini (with Tequila & Bourbon)
1 shot Tequila
1 shot bourbon
1 shot Green Mango juice
1/2 shot Mazza Mango juice
1/2 shot lime aid
1/2 shot lemon aid
pinch of kosher salt
Shake with ice and serve

Pomegranate Martini
2 shots Pomegranate mix (store bought pomegranate martini mix)
1 shot vodka
1/2 shot lime aid
1/2 shot lemon aid
Shake with ice and serve
top with Sprite (zero calorie - less sweet)