Feel free to pass your comments, feedback, advices or recipe requests / suggestions through comments of this blog or email to illatharasi@gmail.com. All your suggestions are welcome!!!



Friday, April 24, 2015

Singapore's Pepper Crab

Pepper crab is one of Singapore's delicacy. Very tasty and yummy, that I started to follow this method for cooking crabs. Below is my version of the recipe, check it out!




Ingredients:
Srilankan crabs - 2 (This type of crabs are filled with flesh and tasty to eat)
Garlic - 5-6 pods, finely chopped
Onions - 2 medium sized, sliced into pieces
Pepper - 3-4 tablespoons, crushed coarsely (Adjust according to spice level)
Oyster sauce - 3 tablespoons, (Adjust according to spice level)
Light Soya sauce - 2 tablespoons, (Adjust according to spice level)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Egg - 2 (seperate yolk, only white is needed)
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste


Method:
De-shell the crabs and wash thoroughly. Normally, I get it cut n clean from the market itself, so easy to wash at home.

Crack the crab claws with a pestle, gently, so that it can absorb the spices, when they are cooked.

Heat oil and butter in a pressure cooker.

Once it is hot, add chopped garlic, crushed pepper, curry leaves and crabs, saute well for 5 minutes.

Crabs will start turning orange in colour.

Then add oyster sauce, soya sauce and stir well. Sauces have salt added to them, so taste it and add more salt if needed.

Add half a cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Switch off and allow the pressure to settle.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites with 2 tablespoons of water and keep it aside.

Then open the lid, heat in high flame, add onions and saute well, until they are transparent.

Simmer the flame, move the crabs aside in the pan, and add egg whites to the gravy and mix well.

Once egg starts cooking, mix well and saute with the crabs.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.



Note: Can keep aside some crushed pepper, and add at the end with onions.

Preparation time 30 minutes.
Serves 2-3 persons.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Vazhakai Podimas (Plantain/Raw banana fry)

Plantains are rich in vitamin A than bananas, also a powerful antioxidant. Very easy to cook vegetable. Check out the recipe below.




Ingredients:
Plantain - 1
Small onions - 4-5 nos.
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tablepsoon


Method:
Peel the plantains, wash and chop into small cubes. Chop onions too and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped plantains and saute well.

Add in asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, chilli and coriander powders and saute well.

Then add chopped onions, curry leaves and salt to taste.

Keep sauteing for 10-12 minutes, until it is cooked well.

Serve hot with sambhar or curd rice.

Preparation Time : 12-15 minutes
Serves 2 -3 persons.