August tree leaves stir fry with grated coconut (Agathi varai)

 August tree  leaves stir fry with grated coconut  (Agathi varai)

August tree  leaves are also known as humming bird leaves or agathi leaves. I have already published a soup recipe using this wonderful leaves as main ingredient. Today I am going to make a stir-fry using those leaves.

                                          August tree leaves

                                

                                   Recipe summary 
                                              For
   August tree  leaves stir fry with grated coconut  (Agathi varai)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves: 6

1. Remove the 200  grams august tree leaves from the stems.  Wash and cut small or shred it in the food processor.

 August tree  leaves stir fry with 
grated coconut  (Agathi varai)

2. mix 1/4 tsp turmeric  with 70 gram grated coconut and set aside.

3. In a medium sized pan add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and heat it. Add 2 dry chili, broken into two  and fry for 2 seconds.



4. Add 100 gram onion, finely chopped and  fry for 4 minutes.

cleaned august leaves

5. Add 2 green chilies, sliced  and fry for 3 minutes, If you pan is dry add one or two spoons of water.

6. Add 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped and ginger, minced fry till you get the aroma. 

7. Add 70 grams grated coconut and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Main Ingredients

8. Add the green leaves.Fry on low fire. Add 1/2 cup water for the leaves to be cooked.stirring frequently for 3 minutes.



9. Take off the heat.
        





August tree  leaves stir fry with grated coconut is ready.

                     Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

Main

200  grams august tree leaves

Others

100 gram onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 dry chili, broken into two

2 green chili, sliced

2 gram ginger, minced

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

½  cup water

70 gram grated coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

Ingredients for  August tree  leaves stir fry with grated coconut  (Agathi varai)

Preparation

Remove the leaves from the stems.  Wash and cut small or shred it in the food processor.

cleaned august leaves

Method

In a medium sized pan add oil and heat it. Add dry chili and fry for 2 seconds.

Frying dry chili

Add onion fry for 4 minutes.

Frying onion

 Add green chili and fry for 3 minutes, If you pan is dry add one or two spoons of water. 

Adding garlic , chili, and curry leaves

Add garlic, ginger and curry leaves fry till you get the aroma. 

Add the grated coconut and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  

Adding coconut

Add the green leaves fry on low fire for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water for the leaves to be cooked.

Adding august leaves

Switch off the heat.In this preparation the bitterness is taken away by the grated coconut.

Grated coconut mixed  with turmeric

It is a good accompaniment for rice and said to a healthy dish

Final stage

YOU MAY LIKE TO SEE

August tree leaves soup (Sothi)

http://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2016/07/

 august-tree-leaves-soup-sothi.html

Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy

Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy

Today I am going to make a stir fry with healthy brown beans for breakfast. This is an addition to my previous articles about semolina. 

                                        Recipe summary
                                                  for
        Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy

1. Soak 1 cup brown beans overnight or soak them for at least 2 hours.

Stir fried semolina with brown

 beans and green Bok choy

2.Add the soaked brown beans to a pan and add water to be half inch above the beans.Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let the beans simmer for about 40 minutes or until they become soft.

Ingredients

3. Clean 100 grams Bok choy and slice thin. Keep the stalks separately, as they are harder and will take longer time to cook.

4. Dry roast 3 cups semolina in a microwave oven for 2 minutes high stir and another 2 minutes. Pre-roasted semolina is also available in stores.

5. In a large pan or a wok heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and when the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium.



6. Add 1 dry chili, sliced  and add ½ tsp mustard seeds. Wait till it splutters.

7. Add 100 grams onion, coarsely chopped and fry for about 10 minutes or till the onions are brown.

8. Add 1 red chily and 1 green chili (15 gram), sliced, 6 cloves garlic, sliced and 8 grams ginger, finely chopped .Fry for 2 minutes.  

Brown beans

                     

9. Add 10 curry leaves, chopped.

10. Add stems or hard part of  bok choy and fry for one minute.

11. Add the leaves of  Bok choy as it is very soft fry 1 minute

12. Add 6 cups water and bring to the boil.

13. Add semolina and  stir quickly  with a  long stick. Stir vigorously so that there are no lumps. You can use the long handle of a ladle (spoon). I normally use a long chop stick to stir the semolina. It will only take two minutes for semolina to cook.

14. Add the boiled beans and just stir well and cook for two minutes.

15. Take the semolina off the heat.

Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy is ready.

                 Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 15  minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Main

3 cups semolina 

1 cup raw brown beans (to be boiled)

100 grams Bok choy, sliced thin

Brown beans

                     

Ingredients for Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy

Others

100 grams onion, coarsely chopped

1 green chili (15 gram), sliced

I red chili, sliced

6 cloves garlic, sliced

8 grams ginger finely chopped
10 curry leaves finely chopped

6 cups water
2 tbsp oil
Spice
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Preparation

You will have to prepare the brown beans ahead of cooking.

 Soak the beans overnight or soak them for at least 2 hours. In a  medium pan wash and add the brown beans.

 Add enough water to cover the beans. Bring it the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan. Let the beans simmer for about 40 minutes or until they become soft.

Boiled brown beans

I do this the previous day to cut cooking time.

Bok Choy  

Clean and cut the bok choy

Cut Bok choy leaves and stem

You can buy roasted semolina in Indian grocery stores. I 

place unroasted semolina in a plate and microwave 2 minutes high stir and another 2 minutes

 Method 

In a large pan or a wok heat the oil and when the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium.

Add the dry chili and mustard seeds to splutter.

Frying dry chili and mustard seeds

Add onion and fry for about 10 minutes or till the onions are brown.

Adding onion 

Add red chili, green chili, garlic and ginger.Fry for 2 minutes  

Adding red and  green chili, garlic, ginger.

Add  curry leaves

Adding curry leaves

Add stems or hard part of  bok choy and fry for one minute.

Adding stems of Bok choy

Add the leaves of Bok choy as it is very soft fry 1 minute

Adding the leaves of bok choy

Add water and bring to the boil.

Adding water

 Add semolina and  stir quickly  with a  long stick. Stir vigorously so that there are no lumps. You can use the long handle of a spoon. I normally use a big chop stick to stir the semolina. It will only take two minutes for semolina to cook.

Adding roasted semolina 

Add the boiled beans and just stir well for two minutes

Adding the boiled beans

Take the semolina off the heat. It is ready to be served.

You can serve it with curry, vegetable salad, pickles, fried potatoes, or fried egg plant.

Stir fried Semolina with brown beans and green Bok choy

 You may like to see

Stir-fried roasted semolina with mixed vegetables

http://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2015/03
/ stir-fried-roasted-semolina-with-mixed.html

Spicy Fish head curry

Spicy Fish head curry

In many parts of the world fish head is not considered suitable for the table. Therefore the fish head is used as fertilizer. It is also a struggle to pick the small bones from the fish head. Many consider that fish head is not even suitable for making stock. It is cumbersome to cook a whole fish with the head. 

Fish head cut into two pieces

In Singapore and Malaysia, fish head curry is cherished as a delicacy. Fish head curry is served in most restaurants, food courts and roadside stalls. You will find Chinese, Malay and Indian style of cooking. Fish head is often cooked with eggplant and okra.

In Singapore and Malaysia, the fish mongers will cut the head in such a way that there will be a fair amount of flesh in the head.

In other parts of Asia fish head is steamed, fried or made into a soup.

                                                   Recipe summary
                                               For
                                Spicy Fish head curry


1. Wash and clean the 350 grams fish head, halved. Marinate with ½ tsp turmeric powder and ½ tsp salt and marinate for 30 minutes.

Spicy fish head curry 
with brinjal

2. Slice 80 grams eggplant into bite size pieces and immerse in water to prevent discoloration. Drain the eggplant pieces in a colander. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan and stir fry the eggplant pieces for 6 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
3. Add 1 lemon grass cut into 3 pieces to same pan and fry for 1 minute.

4. Add 1 pandan leaf (I used dried) and fry for one minute.

5. Add ½ tsp Cumin seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp fenugreek seeds and fry for 20 seconds.

Ingredients

6. Add 10 curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.

7. Add 80 grams onion, chopped coarsely and 5 garlic cloves sliced into halves and fry for 2 minutes.

8. Add 1 small green chilli chopped and 1 small red chili, slice into halves and fry for 2 minutes.

9. Add 1 tomato (80 grams), sliced into bite size pieces and fry for 2 minutes.

10. Add ½ tsp roasted fennel seed and curry leaf powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, ½ tsp gram masala powder and fry for 2 minutes.

11. Add 1 tbsp roasted split chickpea powder which will help to thicken the gravy.

Spices,  spice powder and
 thickening agent

12. Add ½ tsp chilli powder.

13. Add 1 litre water and 1 tbsp curry powder.

14. Add fried eggplant and 1½ tsp salt and simmer for 10 minutes in low heat.

15. Add 3 tbsp thick  tamarind juice derived from 50 grams tamarind and  simmer 8 minutes.

16. Add fish head gently as it will break into pieces easily. Try not to disturb the fish head during cooking. reduce heat.

17. Add ½ tsp garam masala powder and simmer for 6 minutes.

18. Add ½ cup coconut  milk and simmer for 6 minutes.

19. Now  pound  1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp pepper into a powder to add to the curry to give extra spice and smell and cook for 5 minutes. This is optional.

Spicy Fish head curry is ready.

                   Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time:15 minutes 

Cooking time:50 minutes

Serves: 2

 Ingredients

Main

350 grams fish head, halved

80 grams eggplant, sliced into bite size pieces and immersed in water

Others

80 grams onion, chopped coarsely

5 garlic cloves sliced into halves

1 small green chilli chopped

1 small red chili, slice into halves
1 tomato (80 grams) sliced into bite size pieces
50 grams tamarind.

10 curry leaves

1 lemon grass cut into 3 pieces

1 pandan leaf (I used dried )

Ingredients for Spicy Fish head curry

Spices

1 tbsp curry powder

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp Cumin seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

½ tsp roasted cumin powder

½ tsp roasted fennel seed and curry leaf powder

1 tbsp coriander powder.

½ tsp pepper powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp roasted split chickpea powder

Spices,  spice powder and thickening agent

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup coconut milk

1 litre water

1½ tsp salt

3 tbsp tamarind juice

Marinade

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp salt

Preparation

Wash and clean the fish head. Mix with turmeric powder and salt and marinate for 30 minutes.

Method

Slice the eggplant and immerse in water to prevent discolouration. Drain the eggplant pieces in a colander before frying.

Eggplant

Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the eggplant pieces for 6 minutes. 

Remove and keep aside. 

Fried Eggplant

Add lemon grass to same pan and fry for 1 minute. Add pandan leaf and fry for one minute.

Frying lemon grass and pandan leaves

Add cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and fry for 20 seconds.

Adding  fennel fenugreek and cumin seeds

Add curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.

Adding curry leaves

Add onion and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding onion and garlic

Add chilli and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding chili

Add tomato and fry for 2 minutes

Adding tomato

Add fennel seed powder and curry leaf powder, coriander powder, gram masala powder and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding fennel seed powder, garam masala and coriander powder

Add roasted split chick pea powder to thicken the gravy.

Adding roasted split chick pea powder

Add water  and curry powder

Adding water and curry powder

 Add fried eggplant and salt and simmer for 10 minutes in low heat.

Adding fried egg plant

Add tamarind juice simmer 8 minutes

Adding tamarind juice

Add fish head gently as it will break into pieces easily. Try not to disturb the fish head during cooking. reduce heat.

Adding fish head

Add garam masala powder and simmer for 6 minutes.

Adding garam masala

Add coconut  milk and simmer for 6 minutes.

Now  pound  1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp pepper into a powder to add to the curry to give extra spice and smell. This is optional.

Pounded cumin and pepper powder 

Add   pounded cumin and pepper powders and simmer for 5 minutes.

Adding pounded cumin and pepper  powder

Curry is ready. Enjoy with care as there will be bones in the fish head curry.  

Spicy fish head curry 
with brinjal