Wash, clean and devein the prawns. Add it to a bowl. Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. Indian style sesame oil is preferred for this recipe. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the finely chopped onions. Use a lot of onions to get a good thick gravy. Sauté the onions till the onions are soft.

Add in the finely chopped tomatoes. Use equal quantity of tomatoes and onions for this recipe. Add in the ginger garlic paste and the roughly chopped green chillies. Cook for a minute.  Add in the salt and the spice powders. Mix well to combine.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. It can take a little longer depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes. Add in quarter cup of water to dilute the gravy so it does not scorch at the bottom of the pan. Mix well to combine. Cook for a minute. Check for seasoning of the prawn thokku at this stage and adjust seasoning if need be.

Add in the marinated prawns to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the thokku for five minutes. Finally add in the coconut milk and cook for a minute. Finish it off with a sprinkle of coriander leaves. Fantastic prawn thokku / eral thokku is ready. Serve with hot rice.

Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add it to a plate / bowl. Add in all the the other ingredients listed under marinade. Mix well to combine. Do not add any water. Form a thick paste. The egg will hold the masalas well while deep frying without getting separated.

Apply the marinade on the fish steaks. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe. I have used catla fish today. Apply evenly on all the sides. Marinate the fish for a minimum of one hour. You can marinate for up to four hours. The salt and seasoning will nicely penetrate the fish if marinated for a long time. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator so the fish stays fresh.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the fish steaks. Do not disturb the fish for the first two minutes. Gently turn the fish and cook on the other side for two more minutes. Drain the fried fish on paper towels. Serve immediately. The fried fish needs to be served hot immediately else it will lose its crunch.

Prep 1

Grind everything listed under masala paste with quarter cup of water to a smooth paste. Soak the poppy seeds in water so it gets ground to a paste. Else it will just stay as is and can get grainy. Set aside. Adjust the green chillies according to your spice levels.

Prep 2

Boil, peel and grate the potatoes. Set aside. I boiled the potatoes in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes and allowed the pressure to settle naturally. You can grate or even mash the potatoes and use it to make meen cutlets.

Prep 3

Mince the fish to a coarse paste. Set aside. Make sure not to grind it to a fine paste. We need the fish in little bits. Any white fish fillet will work well for this recipe. Halibut, Cat Fish, Tilapia are all good for making these cutlets.

Cooking the Masala

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and finely chopped onions. I like the flavour and aroma of coconut oil in these cutlets. Peanut oil / Olive oil can also be used for making these meen cutlets. Saute till the onions are soft. Add in the salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and the cinnamon powder. Saute for a few minutes. Add in the masala paste. Wash the mixie with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes till the masala mixture looks dry. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preparing the Patties

Take a bowl and combine the grated potatoes, the cooked masala mixture and the minced fish. Mix well to combine. Set aside.

Take a bowl. Mix the cornstarch with little water and mix well to form a slurry. Set aside.

Run some plain rusk in a mixie to form a powder. Transfer the powder to a wide bowl. Set aside.

Take a golf ball sized fish mixture and make a patty. Dip the patty in the corn starch slurry and then coat it in the rusk powder. Set aside. Shape again to form firm and tight patties.

Sprinkle some coconut oil on the patties.

Air Fry the patties in batches. Fry them for 15-20 minutes at 200°C / 400  °F. The patties are very fragile. Rest them in the air fryer for a few minutes before removing them. Gently remove each baked cutlet to a serving plate.

Serve with ketchup and mayo.

First we will make a masala mixture for these patties. Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the minced ginger, garlic, green chillies and the chilli flakes. Saute on a low flame for a few seconds.

Add in the chopped onions and the salt. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Saute till the leaves are wilted. Set aside.

Grind the boneless sea bass fish filet to a coarse paste. To the ground paste, add in the eggs, black pepper powder, and lime juice. Mix well to combine. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Make golf ball sized patties. Use wet hands to make patties. Wet watery hands will ensure that the patties do not stick to hands while forming patties.

Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of ghee. Add in the fish patties and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the cooked patties and serve hot.

Making the fish curry

Deseed and puree the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the minced ginger. Saute for a minute.
Add in the sliced onions and sauté the onions until soft.
Add in the Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the Bolst’s curry powder. Saute on a low flame for a few seconds. Kashmiri red chilli powder adds a bright red colour to the curry but is not very hot.
Add in the salt and the pureed tomatoes. Mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes till the tomatoes are completely cooked.
Add in the coconut milk. I have used canned coconut milk for making this recipe. Add in the water. Mix well. Add in the sugar. The little sugar nicely balances out the taste.
Add in the fish steaks. I have used seer fish for making this recipe. Any firm fish will work well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add in juice of half a lime to the curry and remove the curry from heat.

Tempering the curry

Heat coconut oil to a small tempering kadai. Once the oil is hot, add in the fenugreek seeds and the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the chopped green chillies. Saute on a low flame for a minute. The chillies will blister. At this stage, remove the tempering from heat and add it to the curry.

Tomato fish curry is ready. Serve with hot rice.

Heat sesame oil in a small kadai. Add in the cumin seeds. Add in the shallots, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally add in the fresh shredded coconut and sauté for a minute. Remove the mixture from heat and set aside to cool.

Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside

Heat a couple of tablespoons of Indian sesame oil in a pan. Add in the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add in the sliced Indian shallots and the green chillies. Saute till the shallots are soft and light brown in colour. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute for a few seconds.

Soak the tamarind in 1.5 cups of hot water for 20 minutes. Extract the tamarind pulp by squeezing the tamarind. Discard the seeds and the pith.

Add in the salt and the mango slices. Add in the ground masala paste. Close the pan with a lid and simmer on a low flame for 7-8 minutes.

Add in the fish steaks and simmer for 5-6 minutes more.

Finally finish with a sprinkle of curry leaves.

Serve hot with rice. This fish curry goes well with idli and dosai too.

Take about 200 grams of cleaned and deveined prawns. Roughly chop the prawns into small pieces.
Add the minced prawns to a bowl. Break an egg and add it to the bowl. Add in a little salt and the soy sauce. Mix well to combine.
Let this mixture marinate for about five minutes for the salt to get into the meat.
To the marinated prawns, add in the finely chopped curry leaves.
Add in the finely minced ginger to the bowl.
Add in the finely chopped green chillies to the bowl.
Add in the finely chopped onions.
Add in the finely chopped coriander leaves.
Add in the fennel seeds.
Mix everything well to combine. Once the mixture is well mixed, add in about a quarter cup of corn flour and a couple of tablespoons of maida. Mix everything well. Do not add any water while mixing. The moisture from the prawns and the eggs will be enough. If the batter looks very watery, add in a little bit of corn flour to adjust the consistency.
Once the batter is evenly mixed, it’s ready to be fried.
Wet your fingers in water and pinch a small piece of the batter.
Add the batter to the hot oil. Wet hands will be easier to handle as the batter will just slide off when released without sticking to the fingers. Using a fork, try to turn the fritters so they cook evenly. Cook on a medium flame for about 2-3 minutes until golden. Turn once a while so they brown evenly. Once they are golden, add in a handful of curry leaves to the oil. Let the curry leaves crisp up. Add in the deseeded and roughly chopped dried red chillies. Both curry leaves and chillies are for the aroma and flavor. Let the chillies crisp up. Make sure to deseed the chillies.
Remove the fried fritters from oil and drain on paper towels.
Our fantastic eral kaima bajji aka prawn mince fritters is ready to be served. Serve immediately. This needs to be served hot.

Take boneless chicken – cut into small pieces in a bowl. Add in the soy sauce and a little pinch of baking soda. The little baking soda will tenderize the meat and will retain the juiciness in the meat after cooking without the meat drying out. The baking soda is optional. If you do not want to add it, you can just leave it out. Mix everything well to combine. I used boneless chicken breast today. Chicken thighs also work well in the recipe. Let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Take cleaned and deveined prawns in a bowl. Add in the soy sauce and a little pinch of baking soda. Mix everything well to combine. Do not use big sized prawns. For fried rice, medium sized or even small sized prawns work well. Let the prawns marinate for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Break three eggs in a bowl. Add little salt and whisk well to combine. If you like the texture and flavour of scrambled eggs in your fried rice, you can add one more egg. Once the eggs are mixed well, Set aside.

Let’s get the rice ready. We will be using basmati rice for the fried rice today. I have taken about a cup of basmati rice today. Wash the rice gently in water once or twice. Soak the rice in water for about 20 minutes. Soaking helps in keeping the rice separate without becoming sticky and gummy.

Once the rice is soaked, drain the water and add it to a pressure cooker. I am using a 5 liter cooker today. Add the water. For one cup rice – I use 1.5 cups of water. Add a stock cube broken into small pieces. The stock cube will nicely flavour the rice. If you dont have a stock cube, add a little salt and proceed with the recipe. Mix well to combine. Cover the pressure cooker and let it cook for two whistles on medium flame.

After the said whistles switch off the flame and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Open the cooker and gently fluff up the rice and Set aside on a plate to cool.

Take a pan and add in some oil. Add the marinated prawns to the pan. Saute them for about three to four minutes. Once the prawns are cooked, add in some black pepper powder and mix well to combine. Do not cook the prawns for long. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same pan, add a little oil. Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Since the chicken is boneless and is cut into small pieces, it will cook fast. Keep sauteing so the chicken browns evenly. Once the chicken is done, add in the black pepper powder and mix well to combine. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

Add a little oil to the pan. Add the eggs. Scramble the eggs to a soft consistency. Do not overcook the eggs. Once the eggs are scrambled and done, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

Now, let’s assemble the fried rice.

Add a little oil in the pan. I am using Indian style sesame oil. I like the flavour of Indian sesame oil in fried rice. You can use vegetable oil too. Add in the finely minced garlic. Add the finely minced ginger. Add the spring onions – white part only at this stage. Saute for a minute. Add in the finely chopped onions and the red chilli flakes. Saute for a couple of minutes for the onions to become soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the finely chopped carrots and the finely chopped beans. Cook for a few minutes for the veggies to cook. The veggies should be crunchy and not fully cooked for fried rice. Just cook till the veggies are half done. Add the capsicum to the pan. At this stage, add in our cooked chicken, cooked prawns and the scrambled eggs. Mix everything well.

Add in the black pepper powder. Add in a little sugar. The little sugar will nicely balance the flavours. Add in some soy sauce. Add my secret ingredient to the fried rice – little butter. The butter will make the fried rice very glossy and enhance the taste too. Butter makes everything better. Isn’t it? Mix everything well. At this stage, add in the cooked rice and mix well to combine. We have not added any salt as the sauce and the stock cube that we added is itself salty. You can check for seasoning and add salt only if necessary. Finally add in some spring onions and mix well.

Our one pan mixed fried rice is now ready. This protein packed mixed fried rice will surely become a favorite at your home. Serve the fried rice hot.

Enjoy.

First, let us make a masala paste for the prawn fry. Take a small mixie jar or a blender and add in the country garlic. Country garlic is preferred for this recipe. If you cannot source country garlic, you can use regular garlic. Add in the roughly chopped ginger. Add some red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder (mainly for the bright red colour), coriander powder and little water. Cover the mixie jar and grind this mixture to a really smooth paste. Pulse the mixie several times to make sure that the garlic and ginger is finely pureed. Set aside.

Heat a wide cast iron griddle and add in some oil. Add the cleaned prawns to the griddle. Medium or small prawns are preferred for this recipe. Roast the prawns on the griddle for about a couple of minutes. Once roasted, make a small well in the centre and add in some oil. Add in the ground paste to the griddle. Slowly fry the paste on the griddle while tossing the prawns along. Roast well for two to three minutes till the prawn fry looks dry. Add little oil mid way so the paste fries up and caramelises.

We also need to make a sauteed onion tomato mixture for this recipe and here is how to do it.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add in the chopped onions. Add the chopped tomatoes along. Add some salt and mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame for about three to four minutes. The tomatoes must get soft and mushy. The onions should be cooked to a soft texture too.

Add the sauteed onion tomato mixture to the griddle. Mix everything well to combine and roast everything for a couple of minutes more.

Once roasted add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and to get all the masalas and flavour bits sticking to the griddle.

At this stage add some black pepper powder. Add some cumin powder and finally a generous sprinkling of curry leaves. Mix everything well to combine.

Our fantastic prawn fry is ready. It tastes divine with some hot white rice. Enjoy!

Add Indian-style sesame oil to the pan. Vegetable oil can also be used for making this recipe. Add some fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Fennel seeds add a nice aroma and flavour while cooking prawns. Add some fresh curry leaves and some chopped green chillies. Add the sliced onions and saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Once the onions are soft, add the crushed ginger garlic paste. Add the sliced tomatoes and the salt along. The salt will help cook the tomatoes faster. Mix everything to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few minutes. The tomatoes should be cooked and completely mushy.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the spice powders. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Adjust the chilli powder according to your taste. Saute for a minute so the masala powders are cooked well.
Add the cleaned freshwater prawns to the pan. Mix well so the masalas coat the prawns well. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
After cooking for a couple of minutes, move the prawn’s mixture to one side of the pan. Break 3 eggs and add them to the other side. Add a little salt. Mix well and scramble the eggs.
Once the eggs are scrambled and dry, mix them with the prawn mixture. Cook for a minute.
Add some black pepper powder and mix well.
Finally, add in a generous sprinkling of coriander leaves. Our Eral Muttai Masala is now ready.
Enjoy!

We will be using 1.5 cups of basmati rice for this recipe today. Wash the rice in water. While washing the rice, be gentle so as to not break the rice. Wash once or twice and soak the rice for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the water and set it aside.

Now let us marinate the prawns.
Take the washed, cleaned and deveined prawns and add it to a bowl. Add in the turmeric powder, black pepper powder, salt, and plain curd. Mix well to combine. Marinate this mixture for at least 10 minutes. Marinating just before starting to cook will be ideal.

Take a pressure pan and add the vegetable oil. Add in all the spices – the bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, and some cashews. Saute for a few seconds so the spices turn fragrant.
Add the sliced onions and saute for a few minutes. Once the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes and the salt. Cook the tomatoes till mushy.

In the meantime, let us make a spice paste. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and fennel seeds to a blender. I have used country garlic today. If using regular garlic, about 6 cloves will be enough. Blend to a coarse paste. Adjust the green chillies according to your taste and family preferences.

Add the ground paste to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes till the spice paste is dry. Add the coriander leaves, mint leaves, and the coriander powder. Mix everything well to combine.

Add the marinated prawns and mix well. Cook everything for a couple of minutes. The prawns will be half done after a couple of minutes. At this stage add half a cup of coconut milk and two cups of water. The rice to water ratio is for every cup of rice used, use 1.5 cups of liquid. A little bit of extra liquid is ok. So put together, coconut milk and water – we have used 2.5 cups of liquid.

Let everything come to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice. Add lime juice and mix well to combine.

Cover the pressure cooker and add the whistle weight. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on medium flame. You should get about 2 whistles. After 2 whistles, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Open after about 20 minutes so the rice is nicely set.

Our eral biryani is now ready. Here is a small tip. Before mixing, remove all the whole spices that will be sitting on the top. This will make sure that you dont get a whole cardamom or clove while eating that can spoil the palette. After removing the spices, gently fluff up the rice.

Our fantastic prawn biryani is now ready. Serve with a simple raita and enjoy.

Heat a pan and add in the coconut oil. To the oil, add the fenugreek seeds, garlic, ginger and shallots. Add the curry leaves and the green chillies. Saute for a minute. Once the ginger and curry leaves turn aromatic, add in the tomatoes that have been sliced. Saute for a few minutes till the tomatoes turn mushy. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the red chilli powder and the coriander powder. Add the salt at this stage. Kashmiri chilli powder is not very hot but imparts a bright red colour to the curry. Saute for a few seconds.
Add half a cup of water and mix well to combine. Add in the sliced raw mangoes at this stage and the fish steaks. I have used cobia fish today. Any firm fish will work well. Pomfret is what is mostly used in Paragon. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for three minutes. Open the lid and turn the steaks so they cook evenly. Cover again and cook for three minutes more.
Once the fish is cooked, add the coconut milk. We need thick coconut milk for this recipe. After adding the coconut milk, mix gently so as to not break the cooked fish pieces. Simmer the curry for a couple of minutes. Finish the curry with a sprinkling of fresh curry leaves.

Marinating the prawns : In a bowl, combine the cleaned prawns, soy sauce, and red chili flakes.
Add corn starch and mix well until the prawns are coated. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

Preparing the egg mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, black pepper powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Making the fried rice: Heat a little oil in a wok or pan over medium heat.
Add the marinated prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are nicely roasted. Remove the prawns from the pan and set them aside on a plate to cool.
In the same pan, add the egg mixture and scramble the eggs until they are fully cooked. Transfer the scrambled eggs to a plate and let them cool.
Add a little more oil to the pan and add minced garlic, minced ginger, and chopped onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes until they become fragrant.
Add the chopped carrots, sweet corn, and green peas to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle red chili flakes, black pepper powder, salt, stock cube, and a little sugar over the vegetables. Mix well, ensuring that the stock cube is fully dissolved.
Pour in the soy sauce and stir to coat the vegetables evenly.
Add the cooked rice, cooked prawns, and scrambled eggs to the pan. Mix everything together gently, ensuring the rice and other ingredients are well combined.
Finally, finish off the dish by sprinkling generous amounts of chopped spring onions on top.
This dish can be enjoyed on its own or as a side with your favorite Asian-inspired main course.
Feel free to customize the recipe by adding other vegetables or adjusting the seasoning according to your taste preferences.

Begin by washing the basmati rice and soaking it in water just before you start cooking.
Clean and devein the prawns, and set them aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and add the sliced onions. Sauté the onions until they turn nice and brown. This step is crucial as it adds flavor to the biryani.
Stir in the Kashmiri red chilli powder. This will impart a beautiful color to the biryani. Add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, and whole green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds to release their aroma.
Now, add the ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, salt, and garam masala powder. Mix everything well to combine. Add the plain curd and mix thoroughly. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes become mushy.
Add the cleaned prawns and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the hot water and lime juice. Add the soaked and drained rice, and mix everything together. Let it come to a boil.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid and give it a gentle stir. Cover again and reduce the flame to low. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes on low flame.
Finally, switch off the flame and allow the biryani to rest for 20 minutes before opening the lid.
Serve and enjoy this flavorful Madras Style Prawn Biryani with your favorite accompaniments!

First we will make a masala mixture for these patties. Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the minced ginger, garlic, green chillies and the chilli flakes. Saute on a low flame for a few seconds.

Add in the chopped onions and the salt. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Saute till the leaves are wilted. Set aside.

Grind the boneless sea bass fish filet to a coarse paste. To the ground paste, add in the eggs, black pepper powder, and lime juice. Mix well to combine. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Make golf ball sized patties. Use wet hands to make patties. Wet watery hands will ensure that the patties do not stick to hands while forming patties.

Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of ghee. Add in the fish patties and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the cooked patties and serve hot.

Making the fish curry

Deseed and puree the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, curry leaves and the minced ginger. Saute for a minute.
Add in the sliced onions and sauté the onions until soft.
Add in the Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and the Bolst’s curry powder. Saute on a low flame for a few seconds. Kashmiri red chilli powder adds a bright red colour to the curry but is not very hot.
Add in the salt and the pureed tomatoes. Mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes till the tomatoes are completely cooked.
Add in the coconut milk. I have used canned coconut milk for making this recipe. Add in the water. Mix well. Add in the sugar. The little sugar nicely balances out the taste.
Add in the fish steaks. I have used seer fish for making this recipe. Any firm fish will work well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add in juice of half a lime to the curry and remove the curry from heat.

Tempering the curry

Heat coconut oil to a small tempering kadai. Once the oil is hot, add in the fenugreek seeds and the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the chopped green chillies. Saute on a low flame for a minute. The chillies will blister. At this stage, remove the tempering from heat and add it to the curry.

Tomato fish curry is ready. Serve with hot rice.