March Favourites

A collection of three delicious recipes plus a round up of all my March favourites!

March is our family’s birthday month.

Adi turned ten while I inched closer to the big 4, and with half a dozen family members celebrating birthdays too, March is always a happy and busy one.

Not just on the personal front, March has also been a great one on the work front. Lots of new recipes, articles, working with some excellent brands creating content that motivates me and makes my readers happy; I was truly in a fulfilling space.

One of my March favourites is the Lucknowi style Kofta Pulao; it was fragrant, aromatic and sheer indulgence. Many of you wrote to me how much you loved this dish…thanks for trying out and letting me know.

Also developed two amazing seafood recipes for a client this month, both of which has made it to the March favourites.

The first one was a lipsmacking Marathi style Prawns Curry.

The Konkan region in India has some of the choicest seafood preparations and this Marathi style prawns curry is no exception. Simmered in freshly grounded spices and coconut, the prawns absorb every drop of flavor. Pour liberally over steaming hot rice for a delicious experience!

Print Recipe

Marathi style Prawns Curry

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Marathi

Ingredients

• 400 gms large prawns; deshelled and deveined
• Salt to season
• ¾ tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 medium onion; finely chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes; finely chopped
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp coconut vinegar replace with malt or regular vinegar if unavailable
• A pinch of sugar
• 75 ml coconut milk
• Fresh coriander leaves; for garnish

2 tbsp Spice blend (makes extra):

• 4 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 green cardamom seeds only
• 2 black cardamom seeds only

Coconut paste:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion; finely chopped
• 100 gms freshly grated coconut

Instructions

• Clean the prawns and pat dry. Marinate with salt and turmeric powder and allow to sit till the other ingredients are ready.
• To prepare the spice powder, add all the whole spices to a small pan and roast on low heat till aromatic. Cool and then grind to a fine powder. Since it makes extra, store the remaining for later use in an airtight container.
• To make the coconut paste, heat oil in the same pan and add the sliced onions. Sauté till the onions are light brown and then add the grated coconut. Continue to sauté on low heat till the coconut turns light brown as well. Cool and grind to a paste with a little bit of water.
• Heat the remaining oil in another deep bottom pan. Add half of the curry leaves followed by the onions; sauté till the onions turn light brown.
• Next add the tomatoes and sauté till softened. Then add the coconut pasta and mix well to combine. Cook till the mixture comes together and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Next add 2 tbsp of the spice blend along with the chilli powder followed by the prawns. Mix well and cook till the prawns are half cooked.
• Then add sugar, vinegar and adjust seasoning. Mix and continue to cook till the prawns are almost done. Then add the coconut milk and simmer gently for another minute.
• Turn off heat and garnish with remaining curry leaves and coriander leaves.
• Serve warm

The second seafood recipe that made it to the March favourites is this Sindhi style Grilled Fish.

A deliciously intense spice blend generously slathered over the whole fish which is then marinated and grilled to perfection. This popular fish recipe from the Sindhi cuisine is traditionally made using a river fish called ‘palla’. But today a large whole trout has been used to recreate this delicacy.

Print Recipe

Sindhi style Grilled Fish

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Sindhi

Ingredients

• 1 whole trout approximately 700 gms
• 3-4 tbsp spice blend
• Vegetable oil for grilling
• Salt to season
• Coriander leaves; finely chopped for garnish
• Lemon wedges to serve

Spice blend:

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp green fennel seeds
• ½ inch cinnamon bark
• 4 dry red chillies
• 2 dried bay leaf
• 2 tsp amchoor dry mango powder
• 1 tsp ajwain carrom seeds
• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp besan gram flour
• Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

• Clean the fish well; remove the insides leaving the head and tail intact. Score on both sides.
• To prepare the spice blend, dry roast the coriander seeds and fennel seeds till fragrant and aromatic. Allow to cool.
• Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaf, dry red chillies, cinnamon and ajwain to a fine powder.
• To this add amchoor, garlic cloves, turmeric powder, besan, lemon juice and enough water to grind to a thick paste like consistency.
• Season the fish with salt and rub the spice blend all over, especially the insides of the fish. Marinate for at least 4 hours or as long as possible (keep refrigerated).
• Allow to come to room temperature before grilling.
• Pre heat the oven to 200°C. Line an oven proof tray with baking paper and place the fish. Drizzle lightly with oil and grill for 25 minutes. Remove and turn the fish over; drizzle lightly with oil again and grill till done.
• Serve warm garnished with coriander leaves and lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

Makes extra spice blend; store the remaining in an airtight container, keeps well for at least a month in the freezer.

A whole fish that’s approximately 700gms takes about 40-45 minutes to grill perfectly. But this depends on the type of oven and settings, so check occasionally to ensure that the fish has cooked well. Alternatively, the fish can also be shallow fried.

Other March favourites:

These twice baked baby potatoes look incredible.

Aren’t these the most gorgeous looking spring rolls?

Soup weather is back and this noodle soup is slurrrrpworthy!

If you have a slow cooker at home, then this Moroccan chicken is a must try.

Husbands that Cook! I know, most of us wish for the same. But this is not just a wish; this is the name of an amazing cookbook by some really cool guys. Maybe I should get Sam a copy.

My favourite website for authentic Mexican recipes

And this is my favourite website for restaurant reviews

Being a food photographer and stylist, I constantly like to inspire myself by observing and learning from the creative works of other food photographers and bloggers. Check out my Pinterest board on Food Styling to get your creative juices flowing.

Stunning is the word for these vintage etched champagne flutes

Getting this beautiful Corfu planter to add to my indoor garden.

Love tropical fresh fragrances for my home.