Thursday, April 23, 2009

The All Purpose Masala Paste & Fish Fry


Photobucket


Today is Day 4 of The 7 Day Challenge, it has been good so far. I am not missing my grains any more, I have become paranoid about going grain free and am eating better in both quality and quantity.

The problem is both me & D are true foodies and cannot live on just salad & soup even if it only for a week so we both have to do a lot of work every day cooking interesting stuff and prepping. Only if I was able to transmogrify into a bovine creature chomping greens in a spring meadow, life would be easier.

I will analyze the pros and cons at the end of 7 days, but believe me even if you don't lose an inch this challenge is worth every salad because of the self-restraint you will acquire by the end of it


Now to The All Purpose Masala Paste which is an efficient homemade packaged solution for busy moms.

If I had any business acumen I would market it and put it on not Patel's but Whole Food's Freezer aisle. But before that I would have to pay hefty royalty fees to Vee and then Coffee, the original creators of this idea. This masala saves me on most weekdays and if you are not already making it, I urge you to refrain and wait till my product is out there.
I promise I will have a fun, family ad out with it too with a jingle that says "Taste mein Best, Mummy aur Mummy Ka Paste"


Read more...








Till then you can make it on your own by following these steps

Chop a large red onion roughly

Chop a medium plump red tomato in rough chunks. I keep saying rough because you don't need to spend time and cut in small equal sizes

Peel two to three cloves of garlic and chop in 2-3 pieces

Peel and chop about an inch of ginger, again roughly

Heat little oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic, follow by tossing in onions and then ginger

Fry till the onion is soft and translucent. Toss in the tomatoes and saute till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

At this point you can get imaginative and add some generic spice powders if you wish, like say Garam Masala or maybe Kasoori Methi. I usually skip this step.

Cool the above and make a paste in your food processor, make a smooth paste not one of those chunky ones.

Cool this paste, pour it in a ice cube tray and freeze

Once frozen, take the frozen cubes out and store in a ziploc bag. I usually make enough to last me a week for impromptu weekday cooking

On a busy week night when all you want to do is just pull a blanket over your head, take some of this cubes out and make a quick gravy in minutes.



Depending on your taste you can vary the proportions and add green chillis to the above


Photobucket


I made a Fish on Day 3 of the challenge using this paste. I had some Tilapia Fillet which I marinated with this paste (I made with Kasoori methi added this time), salt and some red chilli powder for 24 hours. However 30 mins to an hour should be enough. I usually bake this fish drizzled with Olive Oil but then I saw this recipe at Shilpa's and wanted to try this instead.

So for 30 mins before cooking I marinated the already marinated fish with some more garlic paste, red chilli powder and lime juice. For one of the fillets I added tamarind paste instead of Lime Juice.

However I am a Bong who always fries her fish except for maybe Ilish(Hilsa) so I was not sure how just poaching the fish would taste like. I therefore smeared my frying pan with a little olive oil, maybe 1/2 tsp. Added some curry leaves to it and then placed the fish fillet on the pan. Slowly added enough water so that the fish were just submerged in water. Let it cook till all the water has evaporated.

The fish tasted definitely good but I feel this method is best if the fish was more fresh. We had it with some salad and oven baked masala potato fries.



88 comments:

  1. I liked the name and seems to be a good idea to cube them...After reading this I have a strong urge to make fish ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anything with the tag all-purpose gets my attention immediately! This is surely a helpful recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's a smart idea indeed! I remember Rooma's post on that. Market it soon, San! You have a customer in me :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. freezing the paste sounds like a very good idea. Anything with seafood involved gets my interest.Good Luck with your challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Sandeepa,
    The all purpose masala paste seems an interesting one and ofcourse a great time saver :) thanks for the tip on freezing it. Hmm..the fish fry my my shilpa's version is damn good thanks for the link :) liked ur version too.
    Happy Weekend
    TC

    LOL...on ur packaging ,advertising and the punch line...Taste mein best... gud one LLLLLLLOL it's so cute ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like seafood in any form even plainly steamed! The masala sounds handy!
    R u allowed to eat potato? interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yeah mee to hooked to Shilpa's poaching fish. Ned to wait to try this over the weekend where we can get fresh fish in the corner-of-the-street fish market. This plate looks inviting and the masala is interesting. Your gingle is so very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow freezing masala paste is such a good idea and not to mention time saver too, lot of luck for your challenge :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. lovely fisy recipe...helpful paste

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your platter makes me want to skip my carb grains too :)

    I am eager to hear how the fast goes. Any plans of doing this on a regular basis, like a day in a week kind of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't think soup and salad every day is not anybody's cup of tea unless they enjoy being anorexic! Did you see one of the Miss America girl? I think she is on liquid diet forever! ;D

    I do the same for gravy most of time but do not make in bulk to store. This is a great idea, saves a lot of time. I saute onion first and then g and g paste and then Tomato and masala.

    Fish fry looks tasty!:)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks Everyone Freezing the paste is indeed a good idea. Before this I would make separate onion paste, ginger paste and garlic paste and store
    But now this saves me a lot of time on weekdays. Since it is already fried you don't have to fry forlong again

    Cham
    No one said anything about potatoes ;-) A samll portion doesn't do any harm I guess :)

    Indo

    The fast starts today evening. Since I will be sleeping off 8-9 hrs of it, it should be fine. And anyway I am going to drink, water/juice/tea

    Asha

    I always add chopped garlic first and as soon as I get the flavor add the onions. While using ginger/garlic paste though I follow your order

    ReplyDelete
  13. All purpose malasa sounds great. I usually do prep work with my tamarind paste and veggies. I use very lil masala in my cooking will try this time.

    ReplyDelete
  14. who is reading calvin and hobbes? it is tough to just eat salads and soups.
    i remember this puree in cubes from coffee's ol post and i do use it. it is a genuine time saver.

    ReplyDelete
  15. That looks really good... amar kintu erokom maach khete ichey korchay:-D

    I never make paste like this.. like pre frying & then making a paste. Have to try this way.. aajkal shudhu pyaj bhejei.. jhol/jhal kore di:-) got really lazy.

    ReplyDelete
  16. i already have planned to try out the 7 day challenge taken by Mandira once I get back to my normal routine. your challenge would be the next one in my list.besides I also make this all purpose masala mostly before having big parties at home. now with the little one guess will have to make this often :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I can live on salad, not soup. And it's too hot here to even think of soup, unless we're sitting in one of those permanently cold restaurants and the only thing you can think of is soup.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great idea! As usual, I have try it out :)

    I love the tagline (taste mein...) :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. hi
    i recently came accross your blog and like your blog. i have also started a foodblog recently.keep up your good work and i wish u a very success.

    cheers
    swethaskitchen.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. No potatoes :D acc ot the original post!

    Sorry for being a pest. Anyway, the jingle is great :D and the masala paste shall be made. Freezing them is a great great idea

    ReplyDelete
  21. Aiyyooooooo N (coz I know this is not A) you HAD to do this to me :)

    Ok hadn't checked the orginal rules at all !!! But the deed has been done, also had some honey with my greek yogurt for b'fast on 2 days

    Man am I glad this thing end tomorrow

    ReplyDelete
  22. Goofy grin @ your tagline. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. You're a brave soul ,Sandeepa, to attempt this challenge...I didn't even think of trying :-)

    I sometimes make my masala in the same way too, but never made in bulk to freeze...that's a great idea :-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Kudos to your commitment to sticking to the 7 day plan.. keep it up! I also have been making and freezing this paste I saw from Vee or Coffe's blog many many month (or years?) ago. The fish recipe looks awesome - I end up using the paste mainly for veg dishes. WIll certainly try your fish sometime if I get fresh fish.

    ReplyDelete
  25. this sounds like a tough challenge Sandeepa and you are doing really well. Can't wait to read your review on Day 7.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I just started doing this 2 weeks back because I now have the li'l one's tiffin box as an addition to our lunch boxes plus getting her ready an hour earlier than before. so less time in the morning and hence the 'ready to go" bhuna masala.

    Using it with fish must have been great!

    Kudos for sticking to the plan :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. fish looks yum,..andthe all purpose masala paste is always handy,..

    ReplyDelete
  28. es ist gereinigt viagra rezeptfrei viagra rezeptfrei bestellen [url=http//t7-isis.org]viagra kaufen rezeptfrei[/url]

    ReplyDelete
  29. oh my, can't believe I chanced upon this post today! Maggi has done it - I got these awesome pouches of Maggi Bhuna Masala from India this time, to try out and they worked perfect for the quick weeknight meals. I couldn't believe the desi stores here aren't stocking it - I only brought two! But why didn't I think of doing the effort of homemade/freezing, I don't know! Will definitely have to do this until Maggi's version starts becoming available here....

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sue

    Check if Maggi uses MSG. Most all purpose seasoning mixes in a bottle has that. In that case it is best to make your own. MSG is no good for daily use

    ReplyDelete
  31. Nope, no msg - in fact I think the package even advertises that. This isn't a powder of spices, its actually onion-tomato-ginger-garlic paste fried in 1tbsp oil, that's all. As you can tell, they have me for a fan :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Sue

    That is good to know.

    I raised the topic, 'coz am a bit skeptical.Though Maggi claims no MSG in noodles(http://www.nestle.in/pdf/maggi_mail_statement.pdf), their Tastemaker does have that. The ingredients clearly say Monosodium Glutamate. I think they should be more transparent about it.

    That said I like Maggi and it is often our Fri dinner. I try to use only a quarter of the tastemaker though and add my own seasonings.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love spicy food and the all dishes in which use some spicy masla and this masla paste looks so spicy.
    Smead office products

    ReplyDelete
  34. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love cooking so this cookbook is really helping me for my habit.insanity workout video

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks for taking time for sharing this article, it was excellent and very informative. It’s my first time that I visit here. I found a lot of informative stuff in your article. Keep it up. Thank you.insanity workout dvd

    ReplyDelete
  37. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cooking to add spice and flavour and lose quality when not fresh.

    ReplyDelete
  38. You made some thoughtful points in this post. I looked on d internet for this and found most people will consent with your perspective.
    repair your credit rating

    ReplyDelete
  39. This is truly an awesome bit of reading, not many blogs compare to the amount of clear info given away here for free!

    ReplyDelete
  40. This is one of the most incredible blogs I've read in a very long time. The amount of information in here is stunning, like you practically wrote the book on the subject. Your blog is great for anyone who wants to understand this subject more. Great stuff; please keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  41. The all purpose masala paste seems an interesting one and of course a great. I use masala in my cooking will try this time.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Wonderful post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Mietautos mallorca

    ReplyDelete
  43. SO many times I read stupid post but this time I must say I'm impressed! Well done! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Nice post. It was very interesting and meaningful.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Many thanks for the exciting blog posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you are a brilliant writer. I actually added your blog to my favorites and will look forward for more updates. Great Job, Keep it up.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. I really enjoyed this post. That is nice when you read something that is not only informative but entertaining. Excellent! Watch clash of the titans online

    ReplyDelete
  47. It is indeed wonderful to read your article. I appreciate your style. iPhone Developer

    ReplyDelete
  48. A very nice informational blog.Keep on making such important blog post.Your work is really being appreciated by some one.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Very useful, thanks for sharing keep on going another one. Thanks for the info! Very help full for someone like me.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Keep up the fantastic work, I read few articles on this web site and I believe that your web blog is really interesting and holds sets of fantastic info.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cuisine to add spice and flavour, and lose quality when not fresh.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Useful information ..I am very happy to read this article..thanks for giving us this useful information. Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks, I have been seeking for details about this subject for ages and yours is the best I have found so far. plumber mornington peninsula

    ReplyDelete
  54. Masala paste blends authentic spices with lemon and coriander to create a simply tantalising version of Britain's most popular curry.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Masala paste blends authentic spices with lemon and coriander to create a simply tantalising version of Britain's most popular curry.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Wow freezing masala paste is such a good idea and not to mention time saver too, lot of luck for your challenge :)

    ReplyDelete
  57. I always like to have a read about such things, my blog is related if you want to have a look round it please feel free. I have added yours to my bookmarks. carpet cleaning springwood

    ReplyDelete
  58. There is a ready masala paste which can be freezed & stored for a week.

    ReplyDelete
  59. You have so much knowledge about this issue. Its so cool, so full of information. Please keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Just imagine I read it twice. While I am not as proficient on this subject, I harmonize with your determinations because they create sense. Gives Thanks and Goodluck to you.

    ReplyDelete
  62. The information in your article is incredible. Very good article. It is very well written. I am looking forward for your more posts in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Hello. I had really liked reading this site it was very good. The content of this blog was very nice. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  64. This is a really good article loaded with useful information. I enjoyed the read and I agree with most of it. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I always add chopped garlic first and as soon as I get the flavor add the onions. While using ginger/garlic paste though I follow your order

    ReplyDelete
  66. These kind of post are always inspiring and I prefer to read quality content so I happy to find many good point here in the post, writing is simply great, thank you for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anything with the tag all-purpose gets my attention immediately! This is surely a helpful recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Thanks for taking time for sharing this article, it was excellent and very informative. It’s my first time that I visit here. I found a lot of informative stuff in your article. Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  69. The information in your article is incredible. Very good article. It is very well written. I am looking forward for your more posts in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Thanks for taking time for sharing this article, it was excellent and very informative. It’s my first time that I visit here. I found a lot of informative stuff in your article. Keep it up. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  71. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  72. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  73. At 13LIMO, we provide Limousine services in Sydney and great brisbane limo hire , as well as a specialised service for an airport limo in Sydney. For limousine hire, we provide reliable and discreet service with convenient 24/7 booking access.

    ReplyDelete
  74. If you are looking for a local Locks specialist to help you with your Locks at an affordable price, give At Call Locksmith – click here locksmith Sydney a call today.

    ReplyDelete
  75. This is much more than just a promise; the high standard of professionalism and service you'll receive is our guarantee! We welcome you as a new valued customer of ours, by making us your local click here 24 hour plumber sydney.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Great Melbourne airport car hire is located in the suburb of Tullarmarine. Both the International and Domestic terminals are very busy places with flights coming from all over the country and world.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  78. I really enjoy reading the post, thanks for sharing I really like it, I already bookmarked it, thank you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  79. If you are budget conscious and looking for a certified great carpet cleaning Sydney who is reliable, professional and offers the highest quality service, you've come to the right place. We also specialise in end of lease / move out carpet cleaning to give you the best chance of getting your bond back.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Sydney Plumbers can save you money with plumbing systems that can be very sensitive. Hiring a professional great 24 hour plumber sydney to deal with your Hot Water system is the right choice.

    ReplyDelete
  81. At Great Melbourne airport car hire, we work with biggest hire brands to provide you with exclusive hire deals and discounts.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Our great Sydney limo hireand Wedding car hire Coordinators will create a stretch limousine travel experience to suit your individual style and budget.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Thanks for your post, I like this post very much.

    ReplyDelete
  84. 13LIMO are your premiere service for cool brisbane limo hire. We have a fleet of vehicles that provide a service if you are looking for an airport limo in Brisbane.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Thanks for your marvelous posting! I enjoyed reading it. I really feel as though I know so much more about this than I did before. Your blog really brought some things to light that I never would have thought about before reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  86. I really like this website , and hope you will write more,thanks a lot for your information.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Some posts really matters because they are valueable, I have found your post very valueable.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your Comments. I hope you will be nice and not Spam.