Rui Machher Kalia (Rohu Fish Curry)

An all time favourite recipe for fish loving Bengalis...It is prepared with onion paste, sometimes yogurt is also added. Here is the recipe for typical Bengali Rui (Pona) Machher Kalia (Rui Fish Curry).....

Ingredients:

• rohu fish: 250-300 gms / 6-8 pieces
• bay leaves: 2
• ginger paste: 1 tsp
• garlic paste: 1 tsp
• onion paste: 2 tbsp
• tomato: 1 (finely chopped)
• green chilli: 1-2 pieces (slit)
• salt to taste
• turmeric: 1-2 tsp
• garam masala: 1/2 tsp
• mustard oil for cooking
• sugar: 1 tsp
• water: as required for gravy

Procedure:

1. Wash the fish pieces, apply salt and turmeric and coat well. Heat oil in non stick kadai and shallow fry the fish. Keep aside the fried fish pieces.
2. Heat oil (add a little more oil, if required) again and add sugar. Reduce flame when the sugar starts to caramelize, add the bay leaves, green chilli.
3. Add the onion paste, saute a little, add the ginger and garlic paste, mix well and saute a little more. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt and mix all the spices.
4. Add a little water, after the oil comes out from the masala. Add the fried fish pieces into the curry / gravy, let it come to a boil. Check the sugar and salt and adjust accordingly.
5. Reduce the flame, simmer for 2-3 mins and remove from fire.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.
   

Sending this to Spotlight:Fish event conducted by Indrani of Appyayan

Also sending these 2 recipes from my Archives.....

Bengali Fish Curry (Microwave)

Sorse Rui

Microwave Chicken Soup

A nutritious and filling Chicken Soup prepared in microwave.....a perfect dish to savour on a cold day...

Ingredients:

• chopped chicken: 1/2 cup
• water: 3 cups
• cornflour: 1 tbsp (mixed with 1/2 cup cold water)
• butter: 1 tbsp
• milk: 1/2 cup
• garam masala: 1/4 tsp
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• cream: 1 tbsp (whipped / beaten)

Procedure:

1. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 100% power for 30 secs.
2. Add chicken pieces, water, salt & garam masala and microwave at 80% power for 4-5 mins. Allow to stand in the oven for 5 mins.
3. Take out the bowl, remove the the chicken pieces from the stock and shred to small pieces.
4. Add the shredded chicken pieces, milk, cornflour mixture to the stock and microwave at 100% power for 3-4 mins. Allow to stand for 5 more mins.
5. Remove from oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with cream and freshly ground black pepper and serve hot.

Sending this soup to MEC-Potluck Party, hosted by Sri of Cooking 4 all Seasons.

Ganesh Chathurthi Specials - ICC August Challenge

Ganesh Chathurthi special dishes (Festive Cooking) from various regions across India were finalized as Indian Cooking Challenge for the month of August' 2009.

Each member was supposed to try out apart from dishes famous in their homestate atleast one more from another state.

Well! all the recipes were new to me and I tried the following recipes...

1. Panchakhadya (from Maharashtra)
2. Boorelu (Sweet filling dipped in savory batter from Andhra)
3. Kudaalu (from Andhra)
   
   

Panchakhadya

Ingredients:

• Grated Dry Coconut / Copra - 1 cup
• Sugar - 4-5 tbsp powdered
• Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
• Dried Dates - 4-5
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Mixed Nuts (almonds,cashews, pistachios) - 4-5 tbsp coarsely powdered
• pinch of nutmeg powder (optional)

Method to prepare :

1. Heat a thick bottom pan/ Kadai and dry roast the grated coconut on low flame till it starts turning golden. This takes about 4 -5 mins, once done set it aside.
2. Dry roast poppy seeds and grind them coarsely after cooling them for 5 minutes.
3. Pit the dried dates and grind them coarsely as well.
4. Mix all these ingredients including nuts powder, cardamom, nutmeg, powdered sugar together and offer Panchakhadya to Ganesha as prasad.
   
   

Boorelu:

Ingredients

For the outer layer: Black gram dal/ Urad dal - 50 gms

For the Filling:

• bengal gram / channa dal - 1 cup
• grated Jaggery - 1 cup
• fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup (opt)
• cardamom powder - 3/4 tsp
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Method to prepare:

1. Wash and soak Urad dal for 4-5 hrs. Place in a big vessel as it will expand after soaking.
2. Then drain water from the Urad dal and grind to fine paste adding very little water. Infact just about a teaspoon of water should be enough. The batter is almost like the thick dosa batter before you make dosas. Add salt and leave it aside covered.
3. For the filling, pressure cook the channa dal with just enough water to cover it. Even if excess water is there, you can always use the water for chaaru. But less water is better.
4. Cook the jaggary to remove any scum. Then once the dal is well cooked, drain and cook it along with the jaggary. It should become very soft enough for you to mash well.
5. You can either grind it to a smooth paste or mash it with the lentil masher. If you find the purnam is very loose, you can cook this in sim to get a thick paste.
6. Add Cardamom powder and grated coconut. You will know its done when the dal starts to leave the sides. Remove and cool. Divide them into equal balls.
7. Heat a thick bottom kadai for frying. Once the oil is hot, turn to sim. Then dip each ball in the Urad dal batter. ensure its coated on all sides.
8. Then gently drop them into the hot oil. Turn and cook on all sides. Once couple of batches are done, strain the oil to remove the scum. It hardly takes more than 2-3 mins to get cooked. Drain them on to a kitchen towel.
   
   

Kudaalu:

Ingredients:

For filling: Same as Booleru
For outer layer, use a stiff dough made with maida as you make for puri.

Method to prepare:

1. Knead a stiff dough using maida, salt and water. Divide into small balls of equal size.
2. Roll them out and place the sweet filling in middle and cover as shown in the Kajjikayalu.
3. Deep fry in oil. Drain and store.

Sending these entries to Srivalli's ICC

Some more copied works at Samayal Blog

Some people just don't learn from their mistakes....

Well Sarmila of Samayal Blog copied my Eggs in Milk recipe and wrote as Egg curry with Milk.
After my notification, she changed the recipe with a new one, which I stated in my earlier post.

Still not satisfied, I happened to browse further and came across this site, Indian Cooking by Sagari. She wrote about Egg Korma with coconut milk and to my surprise the new recipe at Samayal Blog is none other than the recipe of Sagari (I found out her copied work through spelling mistake of turmeric). I have notified Sagari also on this....

You can find Sagari's recipe out here:
1) Egg Korma with coconut milk
2) Same recipe at Sify by Sagari, Egg Korma

And moreover, lots of other recipes are copied from various food sites as mentioned below:

1. Fabulous Fruit Salad
   Fabulous Fruit Salad at Samayal Blog, copied from here Summer Fruit Salad
2. Dal Biryani
   Dal Biryani at Samayal Blog, copied from Hungryzone (she even attached the same picture)...
3. Fried Banana
   Fried Banana at Samayal Blog copied from Bonbini
4. Finger Fish
   Finger Fish at Samayal Blog, copied from Indiaexpress
5. Easy Mushroom Gravy
   Easy Mushroom Gravy at Samaya Blog, copied from Mushroom Masala Curry

It seems all her articles and posts are copied from some blogs or sites with no credits for the original writer.

My request, pl check the site and see if any of your recipes are copied there.

Caught in the Act

Well folks, I didn't think my post on plagiarism will have such a quick effort on Sarmila, the writer of Samayal Blog.

Just now, she changed the whole recipe of Egg Curry with Milk, my word-word copied version of Eggs in Milk, replaced milk with coconut milk (how convenient and so very original!!!!).

But maybe she do not know that the name of the post is still the same "http://www.samayalblog.com/index.php/egg/egg-curry-with-milk", coz even if you edit / modify your post & post title, the original post title (code) remains the same.

I notified the writer by posting a comment on the original post, she smartly deleted my comment and modified my recipe as stated below:

Ingredients:

• 100 gms / 4 eggs
• 2 cups water (to boil eggs)
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk
• 4 tbsp onion paste (2-3 large onions, made into a paste)
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 green chilli
• 2 tbsp white oil
• 1 � tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
  
  

Method:

1. Add water and pressure-cook the eggs till 3 whistles. Drain water and de-shell the boiled eggs. Make 4 small slits with a knife on the outer edge of the eggs. Keep aside.
2. Chop the onions, put in a blender with a green chilli. Add 1 tbsp of water and blend to form a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in non-stick deep bottomed pan / kadhai. Reduce flame and add the onion � chilli paste. Saute a little (make sure that the paste do not turn brown).
4. Add the ginger & garlic paste and stir well.
5. Gradually add the milk and keep stirring continuously. Add salt to taste and mix well.
6. Release the eggs in the gravy. Increase the flame and let the gravy thicken a bit. (You can add � cup water, if required).
7. Remove from flame and transfer the eggs in the serving bowl. Pour the gravy on top.
8. Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve with stuffed paranthas & green salads

with the following:



Ingredients:

• eggs (boiled)
• 2 cloves
• 2 cinnamon
• 2 cardamom
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbs ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmuric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 cups coconut milk
• salt
• 4 to 5 green chillis (slit)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 tbs oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan add cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves
• Add sliced onion, sprinkle salt and sautee until golden in colour
• Now add slit green chillis, cilantro and ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 min.
• Add chopped bell peppers, coriander powder, garam masala, turmuric powder, mix everything and add boiled eggs.
• Add coconut milk and simmer for 10 min
• Adjust salt
• Ready to serve

The recipe name only suggested that the dish is to be white in colour, Eggs is Milk (or as Sarmila called it Egg Curry with Milk).

Suddenly the whole recipe is changed to something else altogether.....and the new ingredients are just not justifying the name.....adding coconut milk, turmeric, coriander powder etc. .....

Hey all!! Pl check if this new recipe matches with some of your recipes or not.

Plagiarism - Be Aware!!!

Friends, these days I am not getting enough time for blogging but always following the nice recipes of you fellow bloggers.

Just the other day, while checking Sanghi's blog, Sanghi's Food Delights!, I came across a note on Plagiarism and her writing on one person hosting a food blog named 'Samayal Blog'.

Her Classic Chicken photo was copied and put as Bachelor chicken and the writer Sarmila has even sent it to an event First Cooked Food Event, hosted by Shama.

As a victim of plagiarism, we all have every right to let others know that our posts (recipes) were stolen and reproduced as someone's own work! These days, I think everyone knows how much time and effort goes into writing a post. I always thought, whren I started blogging, if this were to happen to me, I�d be upset, hurt and didn't have any idea of what to do.

Well just out of curiosity, I happened to browse through the other posts of this Samayal Blog, and came across this post on Eggs, a post called "Egg Curry with Milk"on 30th June, I am shocked to see that it is an exact copy of my post on "Eggs in Milk", a unique dish which I learnt from my mother-in-law.

She has left out my introduction to the dish, but has copied the ingredients measurements and procedure word to word to the last details.

I have put a word to the person, let's see if it's removed.

I do feel for Sanghi...and would suggest all my fellow bloggers, to check this site, Samayal Blog, and notify the person, if any of your recipes / photos are copied there....

This Eggs in Milk recipe is after my heart, as it was one of my chosen recipes for School Meals, a programme of The World Food Programme (WFP), which I sent to Bloggeraid.

So let's join in fighting plagiarism and put a stop to this never ending theft of our posts...

Classic Cheese Pizza and my first set of Awards

The great thing about pizzas are that you can add whatever you want to them and they still taste good (in the course, you invent unique pizza of your own). All you have to do is to prepare the dough correctly. My son likes to have pizza with lots of cheese as toppings. So here is the recipe for classic cheese pizza.

Pizza Dough

• warm water (110-120 degrees F): 1 1/4 cups
• active dry yeast: 1 packet
• sugar: 1 � tbsp
• flour (sifted) 3 � cups
• salt: � tsp
• olive oil / butter flavoured oil: 2 tbsp

Toppings:

• Tomato sauce: 4-6 tbsp
• Mozzarella cheese (shredded / grated): 6 tbsp
• Parmesan cheese (grated): 1 tbsp
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp
• Dried Oregano seasoning (crumbled) (to taste)
• Freshly crushed black pepper (to taste)
• Red chili flakes (to taste)

Procedure:

To make the dough:

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Allow to sit for 8-10 minutes (builds a good froth, so make sure this is in a 2 cup or larger container, glass is best as it holds the heat nicely).
2. In a bowl, mix the sifted flour and salt. Slowly add the yeast water with a olive oil / butter flavoured oil.
3. Mix thoroughly (add flour / olive oil if required) and knead thoroughly for about 6-8 minutes to make a smooth, springy dough (Remember that the dough should be slightly sticky to the firm touch).
4. Remove dough from bowl and place in an airtight bag. Do not seal bag, but leave open in a nearly closed drape (enough to allow gasses from yeast to escape). Set in a warm place for at lest for 1 hour & 15-20 minutes. (This is very crucial & essential otherwise the dough will not rise properly and will result in a tough, unpleasant dough).

Rolling out the dough:

1. Take the dough on to a flat surface, dust it with little flour, roll it flat (size measurement: you can rollout to cover a 14 inch pan for thicker crust / 16 inch pan for thinner crust).
2. Permeate crust with fork over the entire dough base (sp that the pizza crust do not bubble).
3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise an additional 15-20 minutes. Repeat permeation with fork only slightly.

Toppings & baking:

1. Grease a baking sheet and lay the rolled dough.
2. Pour tomato sauce on the pizza base and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.
3. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan. cheese. Very carefully rribble olive oil over the pizza and bake it on the lowest shelf or the floor of the oven.
4. Cook pizza at 475 for 5 mins. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F after 5 minutes and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (lightly browned) and the cheese is bubbling.

Serve:

1. Sprinkle oregano and some freshly crushed black pepper / red chili flakes (as per taste).
2. Serve hot and enjoy!!!
   

Hey all!!! Sunanda of Sunanda�s Kitchen, passed me these 3 lovely awards: �One Lovely Blog Award�, �Kreativ Blogger Award�, �I love your Blog Award� and a tag.

I am overwhelmed and excited to recieve these awards as they are my very first set of awards in this blogging world.




Thank you very much, Sunanda for the awards. I would also like to thank all the great foodies, dear friends and my readers for encouraging me to pursue my passion for cooking and sharing recipes despite having a tight job schedule.

Some basic information about me:

1. What is your current obsession?
Technical writing and blogging (ofcourse)
2. What are you wearing today?
Something comfortable
3. What�s for dinner?
My homemade biryani and cucumber & mint raita
4. What�s the last thing you bought?
Birthday Celebration Gifts (busy these days planning for my son�s b�day)
5. What are you listening to right now?
Latest hindi movie dance tracks
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Wonderful person�
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Paris
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Cotton wear, sun shades and deos.
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Paris
10. Which language do you want to learn?
French
11. Who do you want to meet right now?
My best friend
12. What is your favourite colour?
Maroon
13. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
Jeans and top
14. What is your dream job?
Love to be an entrepreneur; own company on customer service; publishing cookery books
15. What�s your favourite magazine?
Nothing special, anything that catches my fancy.
16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
DSLR camera with full set of lenses
17. What is your favourite pastime?
Reading a mushy romantic novel
18. Who are your style icons?
Greta Garbo
19. Describe your personal style?
Depends on the occasion: Elegant & Classic / simple and gorgeous
20. What are you going to do after this?
Lot of things to do�.
21. What are your favourite movies?
It�s a long list, from old English classics to action & thrills, cartoons, romance etc�
22. What inspires you?
Client compliments and appreciation from near & dear ones.
23. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Simple, confident and present myself as I am�
24. Coffee or tea?
Cuppuccino (specially the lip smacking ones with whipped cream / dollops of ice-cream on top)
25. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Listen to music / read books
26. Which month is your birthday?
July
27. Which other blogs you love visiting?
All good food and recipe blogs, the list is too long��..
28. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Frozen desserts
29. Favorite Season?
Spring
30.One thing you love about yourself
My loving and caring nature (my friends tell me so)
31 What is your favourite line?
You have only one life; enjoy it to the fullest�
32. What is the meaning of your name?
Malini is a female gardener (specially tending to flower gardening)

The rules are:
Respond and rework � answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

I am glad to share these awards along with the tag with following blogger friends�

• Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
• AnuSriram of Chandrabhaga
• Ivy of Kopiaste
• Jenny of Food Recipes Made Easy
• Ann of A delighted Foodie
• Poornima, Tasty Treats
• Neha of Tasty Recipes
• Purva of Purva�s Daawat
• Indrani of Appayan
• Sanghi of Sanghi�s Food Delights

Congratulations to all�