Non-Veg Lunch set

Non-Veg Lunch Platter

Shrimp Masala: Easy and tasty DIY recipe

Ingredients:

Fresh shrimp – 300 gm, deshell and devein
Red Onion – 1 big size, finely chopped
Red Tomato – 1 medium size, finely chopped
Coriander powder – 1⁄2 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1⁄2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Fennel seed powder – 1⁄2 tsp
Biryani masala powder – 3⁄4 tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1⁄2 tsp
Chaat masala powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1⁄2 tsp
Dry coconut powder – 1 tbsp
Kasuri methi – 1⁄4 tbsp, crushed
Food color – 1 pinch (optional)
Fresh yogurt/ curd – 1 scoop
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Salt as per taste
Oil for tempering

How to deshell/peel and devein shrimps?
 
1. To deshell/ peel a raw shrimp, firstly cut off the head completely. Then, hold the legs underneath along with small portion of the shell and pull off gently. The entire shell peels off along with their legs and tail. If you like, you may leave the last tail segment on for looks. I always prefer to deshell them completely.

2. To devein, make a shallow slit over the back of the shrimp till the end/tail to expose the black intestine. Turn the knife sideways and insert it just under the black intestine. Slowly lift the knife upwards. Hold the vein gently using your fingers and pull it off. Wipe it off on a paper towel.

Instructions:

        Take fresh shrimps. Deshell, devein and rinse them well in water to remove any dirt or dust.

        In a thick bottomed kadai add some oil and heat it. When the oil is heated add curry leaves and let them sizzle. Add the chopped onion and saute until they turn translucent. Add chopped tomato and saute until it turns soft. Now, add biryani masala powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, fennel seed powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder, dry coconut powder, chaat masala powder, food colour, crushed kasuri methi, curd, salt and mix well. Let this spice blend cook well under low flame. Stir occasionally. After 2 to 3 minutes, you would notice that the oil is separating out. This indicates that the masala is well done. Now, add fresh shrimps into the spice blend and mix well. Let this be cooked under low flame for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. You would notice that the shrimps have curled up and have changed their colour slightly to pink. Switch off the flame and serve hot. Simple yet tasty shrimp masala is ready within minutes.

       Serve it hot with rice, millet rice, ragi ball, roti, kulcha, naan, chapati or puris. Enjoy this delicacy with family and friends any day any time 😊. Do let me know your comments to serve you better. See you soon in our next video.

TIP 1: Always choose fresh shrimp. For the fresh ones, the dirt in the head will still be brown in color and the body of the shrimp will be firm. If the dirt in the head is orange in color or the body of the shrimp is soft or the head is separating out from the body while you hold the shrimp that means it’s not fresh. I had ordered the shrimps online and so i cudn’t return them. Lessons learnt: Always, buy fresh sea food from the market than looking for convenience.

TIP 2: When the shrimps are cooked right, they are juicy and soft. They just melt in your mouth releasing the delicious flavors when you chew. Mmmm..

TIP 3: Do not over cook the shrimp as they tend to get harder as you cook longer. Always watch out for curls and slight pink color. That is sufficient to say that the shrimp is cooked.

Crispy Rava fish fry: Simple tawa fish fry

Ingredients :

Rohu fish – 500 gm

Chiroti rava – 5 tbsp

Corn flour – 2 1/2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1/4 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Black pepper powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Lemon - 1

Salt as per taste

Oil for pan frying

Instructions:

Marination:

      Take a bowl. Add corn flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt and water into it. Mix them well to make a fine paste. Add fresh Rohu steaks into the spice mix and coat them well on all sides. Marinate these fish steaks in the refrigerator for atleast 30 minutes.

Tawa fry:

      On a flat pan, sprinkle some oil and spread across. Heat the pan over medium flame. When the pan is heated, take a marinated fish steak and place it over a pile of chiroti rava. Flip the fish steak on to the other side and gently pat it over the rava. Make sure that the steak is well covered with rava on all the sides. Now, place this rava coated fish steak over the hot pan. Follow the same process for all the remaining fish steaks.

     Once the pan is filled with fish steaks, add some oil around them. Fry them until the rava turns slightly golden-brown. Now, gently flip the steaks on to the other side and fry. Follow the same process until all the sides of the fish are well cooked. Very simple and crispy rava fish fry is ready.

     These rava fish steaks can be served hot as starters, snacks or side dish for main coarse. Try out this yummy dish and let me know your comments. Enjoy cooking and serving your family and friends 😊

TIP 1: There should be a thin layer of rava over the fish. When pan fried evenly, the crispness of the rava adds to the flavor of tender fish steak which makes it the best tawa fish fry.

TIP 2: Do not overcoat the fish with rava. This forms a thick layer and falls off when pan fried. You wouldn’t enjoy the crispness.

TIP 3: Fry the fish under medium flame. Add sufficient oil while pan frying. Fry them right to enjoy the juicy flavor of the fish along with crisp outer layer.

TIP 4: Do not over fry the fish as it tends to get harder when fried longer. Also, the rava gets burnt and falls off.

Chicken Kebab Skewers: Crispy & Juicy chicken

Ingredients:

Fresh boneless chicken cubes – 500 gm

Corn flour – 4 tbsp

Chicken kebab masala – 2 tbsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/4 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Oil for pan roasting

Instructions:

       Soak the bamboo skewers in water for atleast 2 to 4 hours. This helps them from not burning off while roasting or barbequeing. Since i am using tawa to fry the kebabs, i have soaked the skewers for about 45 minutes.

       In a big bowl add corn flour, chicken kebab masala, red chillie powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and mix well. Add some fresh water to bind the spices into a fine paste.

      Add fresh boneless chicken cubes into this spice blend. Mix well so that the chicken cubes are coated evenly on all sides. Marinate this chicken in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour to 1 hour. This enhances the flavor of the dish.

      Since my kids were insisting to have them immediately, i am gonna skip the marination step. Take a skewer and insert the spice coated chicken cubes into it. Push it to the end so that we can add many more chicken cubes into the same skewer for roasting. Make sure that there is some space between each chicken cube for even cooking. Otherwise, when you roast the chicken cubes, the centre part will still be raw and chewy. Follow the same process and add all the chicken cubes into the skewers and set aside.

      Take a flat pan/ tawa and drizzle some oil over it. Spread it evenly. Heat the pan on medium flame. When the pan is heated, place the chicken skewers over the hot tawa. Drizzle some oil over the kebabs and around them. Let it roast for a while. Hold the skewer and flip it over to the other side and roast. Keep flipping them constantly so that they don’t burn or over roast. This way, the chicken will be roasted evenly on all sides. After 2 to 3 minutes, the chicken starts to have a brown coating indicating that it is almost roasted. When you notice bright brown spots here and there, switch off the flame. Dish out the chicken skewers into a clean plate and serve hot.

     Only when the skewers are removed at the right time, the tender meat will be filled with juicy and spicy flavors. Otherwise, due to over roasting, the chicken cubes would get dry and chewy.

     You may serve them as is with butter or cheese dip (OR) you may also separate the chicken cubes from the skewers and serve them as starters. My kids LOVE to have them as is from the skewers. Watching them relish the dish with a smile on their face makes my day. What more can we ask for? :) Touch wood.

     Quick, simple and juicy Chicken Kebab Skewers is much easier to roast than deep fry. Try it out and serve your family and friends!! I am sure your kids or guests would definitely ask for more :). Don’t forget to share your experiences in the comments section. Happy roasting!