HOW TO THAW FROZEN FISH

HOW TO THAW FROZEN FISH

Thawing any kind of meat is definetly hardwork, right from the long wait for the meat to come to room temperature to the unpleasant smell that the meat sometimes emits.

Now, I hate it if my fish smells bad even after all the care taken during thawing.

I have tried everything from keeping the fish in running water to submerging it in a bowl of water or simply tossing it in the refrigerator some hours prior.

But with time I learnt the perfect way to thaw fish.

It tastes better, looks fresh like its come from the ocean and not the freezer.

THINGS YOU’LL NEED :

Frozen fish fillets

Full fat Milk 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take the fish fillets out of the freezer.

If the fish is packed in a plastic bag, then hold the bag under running tap water till the fish comes lose and can slide easily from the plastic bag.

Rinse the fish fillets in tap water.

Pat dry the fish with a kitchen towel.

 

In a shallow dish, place the fillets and pour milk till the fish is submerged.

Cover and keep in refrigerator till the fish thaws completely.

When thawed, remove and pat dry the fillets.

Do not rinse.

Discard the milk, as it is not suitable for use.

CHICKEN PAELLA

CHICKEN PAELLA

 Paella!! Paella!!  Paella!!

I can keep saying this word over and over again, it fills me up with so much of warmth.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about Spanish food and and Paella definetly tops the list.

And so today, I made my very first chicken paella and I absolutely loved it.

I know usually Paella is made with different seafoods but since I did not have any in hand, I used chicken instead.

Next time I am definetly trying it with seafood.

Serve it with a glass of white wine.

Simply perfecto!!

 INGREDIENTS:

150 grams boneless chicken pieces

1 ¾ cup paella rice / long grain rice

1 large onion

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 red bellpepper diced

3 tomatoes diced

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp red chilli powder / smoked paprika.

Large pinch of saffron threads

600 – 700 ml chicken stock( I used the knorr cube)

100 grams green peas

80 grams black olives diced

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp parsley chopped

Salt

METHOD:

In a large frying pan, heat oil, add the chopped onion and garlic paste.

Stir till the onion turns pale golden.

Add in the peppers, tomatoes and chicken.

Cook for 5 mins.

Toss the rice in with the vegetables, mix in the tomato puree, red chilli powder, saffron strands and the chicken stock.

Add green peas and salt.

 

Bring the stock to a boil, stirring, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or till the rice is cooked.

Stir in olives and chopped parsley.

Drizzle  some more olive oil on top, serve in bowls.

PETER’S PAN-“EAT LIKE A KING”

 PETER’S PAN-“EAT LIKE A KING”

The moment I opened the door to Peter’s Pan, I was engulfed by the smell of freshly made waffles and pancakes – perfect because I was in no mood for a typical Indian breakfast. 

Compared to the majority of eateries in this area, the interiors of this place are like a breath of fresh air with playing cards on the wall as part of a purple and yellow colour scheme. 

Although the premises is not too large, the restaurant can accommodate 20-25 people.

The menu is short and crisp and consists of waffles, pancakes and omlettes along with a selection of hotdogs. 

I decided to go with the sweet smell in the air and ordered some blueberry waffles instead of the savoury ones. 

The moment I digged into it, I was like “oh wow”!!! They were the best waffles I’ve had in a long time. 

The only thing that comes close to this are the waffles at Taste restaurant at Westin Hotels. And for this price, the waffles at Peter's Pan are a great bargain.

The waffle at Peter’s Pan was served with a generous helping of blueberry sauce along with whipped cream. Gosh,I’m already salivating just writing about it! 

The best part is that since the dishes are eggless, I can bring along my (picky) vegetarian friends to try the excellent waffles and pancakes. The cook deserves a huge tick from my side. 

Since I am an egg kinda girl (err...I was craving for something savoury and non-veg), I ordered for bhurji which came along with some toast and french fries. 

The bhurji was nice and filling but just a little overcooked for my liking. Next, I ordered a cup of masala chai. Unfortunately, this is a big no-no. I would prefer having some tea at a roadside stall instead. 

By now I was so stuffed that I couldn't possibly eat another bite. A bill of Rs 150 --- is not that bad.

However, the same evening, I decided to make a little trip to Peter's Pan again and try the very delicious sounding caramel banana pancakes. 

Oh my, did they ever live up to my expectations! Topped with fresh bananas and some caramel sauce along with whipped cream, they simply melted in my mouth. 

For refreshments, I decided to play it safe and ordered a lemon iced tea that turned out to be a tad too sweet for my taste. 

I paid Rs 130 and before leaving I promised the manager that I will be back to sample the rest of the menu with a few of my friends the next time.

You can expect quick service at Peter's Pan as the food, though freshly prepared, is served swiftly. Full marks for presentation as the dishes I tried not only tasted good but looked tempting. 

The menu is a bit overpriced but at the same time you are sure to get your money's worth as portion sizes are generous. Peter Pan’s tag line states, “Eat like a king” and I truly did.

Ambience:4/5

Food:4/5

Service: 4/5

Price:3/5

Overall ratings:4/5

Address: Peter’s Pan, Shop no.16, Green Valley,Wanowrie, Pune-40

Phone:9226408478

ITALIAN PASTA MEETS INDIAN SPICES!!

ITALIAN PASTA MEETS INDIAN SPICES!!

Sounds weird,right?? 

 Well, this is exactly what happened in my kitchen tonite.

 I had some leftover chicken masala which I had made in the morning and no chapattis left to go with it. 

As always I was too lazy to make chapattis  for myself and so I thought why not add pasta in it and see??

Just boiled some pasta and tossed everything together and my pasta Indian ishstyle was ready!!

The pasta turned out absolutely yum!!

This dish is a hands down winner if you want to introduce pasta to people who love Indian food.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

200 grams whole wheat Conchiglie pasta (I used the seashell variety but you can substitute it with any other pasta )

200 grams boneless chicken pieces

3 onions roughly chopped

2 tsp fresh garlic chopped

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

3 green chillies chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

½ cup fresh coriander leaves chopped

Salt

Oil

METHOD:

In a medium sized pan, heat oil, add the chopped onions and garlic.

Sauté till onions turn translucent.

Then add the turmeric, coriander and garam masala powders along with chopped green chillies.

 

Stir the masala well.

Add the tomatoes.

Cook till the mixture starts secreating oil.

Add the chicken pieces and salt.

Cook for 7 mins or till the chicken is  cooked thoroughly.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and stir well.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan.

Toss or stir well.

Done.

TO BOIL THE PASTA:

In a large pot, boil 2 litres of water with 2 tbsp of salt.

When boiling, add the pasta to the water.

Keep stirring the pasta occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Boil the pasta for 10 mins or till the pasta is cooked to al dente(chewy but firm in the center)

Empty the entire pot in a colander.

Rinse the pasta in cold water.

Shake out the excess water.

Drizzle some oil on top so that the pasta should not stick to each other.