6 recipes to try this Republic Day

Fish Curry
Serves: 4
Ingredients
550 gm fish (preferably Bengal carp (katla), Spanish mackerel, surmai or kingfish), cut into 2x3-inch pieces
1 tsp salt, or to taste
For the spice roast:
¾ tsp coriander seeds
5 black peppercorns
4 dried red chillies (preferably mild Kashmiri), deseeded
1 tsp turmeric powder
For the wet paste:
1 ½ tbsp onion, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped (deseeded if you don't want the curry spicy)
½ tsp arrowroot flour
2-3 tbsp water
For the curry:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
3 green chillies, fresh, halved lengthwise, deseeded
1 tsp ginger, julienned into matchstick-size pieces
1 ½ tsp tamarind paste
200 ml coconut milk, thick,
first press
1 tsp lime juice
¾ tsp salt, or to taste
1 ½ tbsp coriander leaves, fresh, chopped, to garnish
Method
Place fish pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the paste.
For the roast spices: toss coriander seeds into a small, heavy kadhai or wok over medium low heat. Add black peppercorns. Slide in dried red chillies and stir continuously to evenly roast the whole spices, about 4 minutes or till lightly coloured and toasted. Add turmeric powder. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, add roasted spices to a blender, followed by onion, green chillies, arrowroot flour and 2-3 tablespoons water, or as required. Grind to a fine paste. Remove and reserve.
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan or kadhai over high heat. Once hot, add chopped onion, green chillies, and ginger; stir till onion is just lightly coloured, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add reserved wet spice paste to the pan; stir well. Add fish to the pan and stir for about 1 minute to coat with the masala.
Pour in tamarind paste; mix. Turn the fish gently to cook evenly, another 2 minutes.
Add coconut milk, stirring gently to ensure that the masala mixes with the coconut milk, but without breaking the pieces of fish. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or till the fish is cooked through and tender.
Add lime juice and ¾ tsp salt, or to taste. Stir gently and remove from heat.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serve steaming hot with rice.

Chicken Thukpa
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
150 gm onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
200 gm tomato, chopped
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp black pepper powder
250 gm chicken thighs, boneless, chopped into ¼ - ½ inch pieces
¼ tsp sugar
1 L water
75 gm egg noodles
2 cups chicken stock
1 small handful coriander leaves for garnish, chopped
Method
Pour oil into a wok or kadhai over high heat. Once hot, but not smoking, slide in onions and stir for about a minute; add garlic and ginger. Stir till onions are light golden brown, about 6-7 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan often so that the garlic does not catch and burn.
Tip in tomatoes and quickly stir to mix well. Add salt, followed by black pepper; stir. Continue to cook, stirring vigorously for another 3 minutes, or till the masala is cooked.
Add chicken to the wok and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Cover wok and let the chicken cook for another 2 minutes till it releases water. Remove lid, add sugar, then replace lid and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 7-10 minutes, or till the oil separates from the masala and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil over high heat. Slide noodles into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, or till done. Remove from heat; drain.
To assemble, place a handful of noodles in a small soup bowl, top with about 3 tbsp chicken mixture, and ladle about ¾ cup steaming hot chicken stock on top. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.
 
Mutton Korma
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp ghee
100 gm onion, minced
2 pieces ginger, about 1-inch each, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod
6 black peppercorns
3 cloves
2 tsp garam masala powder
250 gm boneless mutton, minced at least twice to a fine consistency
750 gm mutton, preferably shoulder, cut into 1½-inch
size pieces
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder, mild, or more to taste
1 ¼ tsp salt or to taste
500 gm tomatoes, finely chopped
Ginger juliennes, to garnish
Method
Heat ghee in a large heavy kadhai or wok over high heat. When hot, add minced onions and fry till translucent.
Toss in ginger paste; follow with garlic and fry till brown. Stir well to ensure that the masala does not burn.
Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, and garam masala, and give it a good stir. The kadhai should be smoking hot.
Quickly slide in minced mutton, stir, and add mutton pieces as well. Stir to mix evenly with the onion masala.
Sprinkle in turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Cook till mince and mutton have darkened in colour, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a pressure cooker and place on high heat. Add chopped tomatoes, continuing to stir well for 2-3 minutes. Add water to cover, bring to boil, then seal it with the pressure cooker lid.
After the first whistle, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool before opening the cooker.
If the consistency of the curry is too thin, return uncovered pressure cooker to stove and cook for another 5-10 minutes. The curry should have a consistency of medium thick gravy. Check seasoning and add salt, if needed.
Garnish korma with ginger juliennes and serve with naan or lacchha paratha.
 
Fish Biryani, Moplah-Style
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the marinade:
500 gm fish fillets (preferably kingfish, Spanish mackerel or other oily fish), cut into 1 ½-2 inch pieces
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the garnish:
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp ghee
125 gm onion, finely sliced
3 tbsp cashew nuts, broken
3 tbsp raisins (kishmish)
1 tsp garam masala powder
For the masala:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
250 gm onion, ground to a paste with ¼ cup water
50 gm garlic paste
50 gm ginger paste
50 gm green chillies, fresh, deseeded, minced
150 gm tomato, chopped
200 ml yoghurt
1 tsp salt, or to taste
½ lime
½ cup coriander leaves, fresh
For the rice:
150 gm onion, finely chopped
3 green cardamom pods
1 piece cinnamon, 3-inches
1 green chilli, minced
½ tbsp ginger paste
½ tbsp garlic paste
1 ½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
½ tbsp mint leaves, chopped
350 gm basmati rice, or any other long grain rice, washed and soaked for 1 hour
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Method
Place fish in a medium bowl and, using fingers, rub well with turmeric powder and salt till evenly coated; set aside to marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
For the garnish, heat oil and ghee in a kadhai, and toss in sliced onion. Fry till brown and crisp, but not burnt. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Fry cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown. Set aside, reserving the ghee-oil mixture.
Place a heavy frying pan on high heat; add 2 tablespoons oil. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, reduce heat to medium. Gently place marinated fish in the pan in a single layer without overcrowding. Fry the fish for 2 minutes on each side till golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the existing oil used to fry fish. Add onion paste and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add garlic paste, ginger paste and minced green chillies; stir. Cook for about 3 minutes before adding chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook, stirring, till oil starts leaving the masala (2-3 minutes). Add yoghurt; stir into the masala. Add salt. Let the mixture simmer, stirring frequently, till thickened (10 -12 minutes). Add lime and coriander leaves. Cook for another minute before removing from heat. Reserve.
For rice, pour reserved ghee-oil mixture into a large nonstick saucepan over high heat. Once hot, add chopped onion, stir, then toss in green cardamom pods, cinnamon, green chillies, ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir and cook till the onion turns translucent (about 3 minutes). Add fresh coriander and mint leaves, and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
Add drained rice to this onion mixture and stir to ensure rice is well-coated with oil. Fry lightly till the rice starts changing colour, becoming slightly whitish, translucent and a little crispy (4-5 minutes). Pour in water and bring to a boil. Add salt and stir. Continue to cook undisturbed till the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Spoon reserved yoghurt masala into the bottom of an oven-proof bowl. Spread evenly, ensuring that the lime is tucked into the masala. Place the pieces of fish on the masala in a single layer. Top with 1/3 quantity cooked rice, spreading it to form an even layer. Sprinkle on garnish - 1/3 quantity fried onions, fried cashew nuts, fried raisins, and garam masala powder. Repeat for 2 additional layers of rice and garnishes. Cover with tight fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately, spooning out biryani all the way through to the bottom.
 
Vegetarian Shammi Kebab
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 cup white chickpeas (kabuli chana), soaked in water overnight
1/3 cup water
100 gm onion, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger, chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp dried mango powder
2 green chillies, fresh, deseeded,
finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves, fresh, chopped
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 cup vegetable oil, to fry
Hari chutney (green coriander and mint chutney) or other condiments of your choice to serve
Method
Place soaked and drained chickpeas in a blender. Add 1/3 cup of water and grind (pulsing) till it becomes a slightly granular paste (you may find a few small pieces of chickpeas remaining in the mixture - this is okay).
Turn out the chickpea mixture into a medium bowl. Add onion, ginger, garlic, cumin powder, garam masala, dried mango powder, green chillies, coriander leaves, and salt. Mix by hand or with a wooden spatula till just incorporated.
Wet your hands and tear off a walnut-size chunk of the mixture. Roll into a ball with your palms, then flatten slightly to form a fat disk, smoothing the edges. Set aside. Repeat for the remaining mixture, making about 20 kebabs.
Heat oil in a medium kadhai or wok over high heat. Once hot, test with a small piece of mixture; if it sizzles with fast-moving bubbles, the oil is ready.
Carefully place a few shammi kebabs into the hot oil without overcrowding the kadhai. Fry, turning once, till golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, letting oil drip away, and place on kitchen paper so that excess oil can be absorbed.
Serve hot with hari chutney or other condiments of your choice.
 
Tomato Rice
Serves: 4
Ingredients
350 gm basmati rice, or any other long grain rice
½ cup vegetable oil
3 green cardamoms
1 piece cinnamon, about 1-inch
1 bay leaf
2 fresh green chillies
½ tsp turmeric powder
100 gm onion, finely chopped
¾ cup fresh tomato purée
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 ½ cups water
1 cup coconut milk, thick, first press
Method
Place basmati rice in a bowl and wash under running water, gently stirring and mixing the rice with your hands, draining each time the bowl fills up. Do this 2-3 times till the water runs clear; then let soak in fresh water, covered, for about an hour.
Pour oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add cardamoms and cinnamon. Once you notice that the cardamoms have plumped up nicely, about 30 seconds, add the bay leaf and green chillies, and stir.
Add turmeric. Follow by sliding the onions into the pan and sautéing till translucent for about a minute, before adding the tomato purée. Spoon in the ghee and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Add salt, continuing to stir well till the oil begins to leave the masala (about 5 minutes).
Pour in water and coconut milk, mix to incorporate, and cover to let simmer for 5 minutes before turning the heat to high. Add rice, stir, and wait for it to come to a boil before reducing the heat. Let cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes or until rice is cooked and water is absorbed. Remove bay leaf.
Transfer rice to a serving dish carefully without scooping out the burnt bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Serve hot.