Lunch Platter!

So.. it was one of those lazy winter afternoons at home, when the heart wants to curl up on the couch with a cuppa hot chocolate, but the tummy craves for some wholesome, soul satisfying, hot food! I was flipping through the television channels, when I bumped into Joey Matthews on NDTV good times. The model turned chef, who looked oh so passionate cooking. Quite co-incidently, Joey was whipping up a meal- more like a keralite lunch platter and my lunch menu for that afternoon was sorted.

 

My platter is a combo of little bit of Joey and little bit of me. It consists of a simple potato curry, a plain spinach thoran, spicy fried fish and hot steaming rice.

 

 

 

 

Serves: 3-4 persons.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the potato curry:

Parboiled potatoes                                     4 nos.

Minced garlic                                            1 nos.

Minced ginger                                      1/2 inch piece

Chopped onions                                        2 nos.

Chopped tomatoes                                    4 nos.

Whole cumin seeds                                   1 tsp

Cumin powder  (jeera powder)                 1/2 tsp     

Turmeric powder                                      1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder                                     1 tsp

Degi mirch powder                                  1 tsp

Coriander powder                                    1/2 tsp

Black pepper powder                               1/2 tsp

Salt                                                          to taste

Coconut milk                                          1 cup

Oil                                                         2-3 tbsps

For the tadka:

Oil                                                          1 tbsp

Mustard seeds                                        1/2 tsp

Chopped shallots (tiny onions)              1-2 nos.

Curry leaves                                         7-8 leaves

Whole red chilli                                     2 nos.

 

For the spincah toran:

Spinach leaves                                      2 bunches

Sliced onions                                          1 nos.

Slit green chilli                                      1-2 nos.

Grated fresh coconut                              1/2 cup

Salt                                                         to taste

Oil                                                           1 tbsp

 

For the fried fish:

Any small fish or fish of your choice    500 gms

Red chilli powder                                  2 tsps

Turmeric powder                                   1/2 tsp

Coriander powder                                  1 tsp

Lemon juice                                           1 tbsp

Salt                                                         to taste

For the coating:

Rice flour                                               1 cup

Semolina (rava)                                     1/4 cup

 

Oil                                                          to shallow fry

 

To serve:

Cooked white rice/basmati rice

 

 

Method:

• For the potato curry- heat oil and fry the ginger-garlic.
• Add onions, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder, salt and degi mirch powder and saute for a few minutes.
• Then add tomatoes and saute for 10 minutes till the oil separates on the sides.
• Add chopped potatoes and water to it. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add black pepper powder.
• Finally add coconut milk to the mixture and bring to a simmer.

For the tadka- heat oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the shallots and fry well. Add curry leaves and whole red chilli and saute. Pour it on top of the potato curry.

• For the spinach thoran- heat oil and lightly saute the onions. Add the green chilli and chopped spinach leaves along with a pinch of salt and stir. When the spinach leaves wilt, turn off the heat and add grated coconut and mix well.

 

Note- Instead of spinach you can also make a beans thoran. Chop the beans finely and follow the above recipe.

• For the fried fish- clean and wash the fish well. Marinate it with all the mentioned ingredients under "For the fried fish" and keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Combine the rice flour and semolina together. Coat the fish in it and shallow fry until crisp.

 

 

• Serve the potato curry with steaming, hot rice along with the spinach thoran and fish fry on the side.

 

 

 

 

Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!