Fish Biryani..... Our #1 dish :)

I hail from Kannur (a lovely district in Kerala) known as the land of looms and lores which is popular for its coast line and wide variety of fishes & dishes. Obviously after migrating to the west finding a personal favorite fish here became a priority. Our answer to the fishy question was Scottish Salmon!!! We make the most of our cravings by grabbing occasional offers in one or the other store. So when anyone is visiting or when it's a special day, Nikhil wants me to prepare Fish Biryani which till date retains top #1 ranking among main dish variety. So here is the fish Biryani recipe which in my experience always comes out finger licking good :)

Fish Biryani:
Recipe adapted from Salkkaaram

Cakey Chocolate Brownies :D

Finally my first batch of brownies (cakey version) and I have to say I am pretty happy with the results :D Brownies fall somewhere between a cake and a cookie in texture; Personally I wanted to bake ones that are more towards the cake-side rather than fudgy. So when I came across the recipe for a cakey brownie, most naturally got prioritized to top of my to-do-baking list. The recipe is simple and very easy to whisk up and bake. Just a caution, the tray will be emptied much before you expect it to! 

Cakey Brownies:
Recipe adapted from Laura in the Kitchen

Ulli Sambar - Our comfort food!

Missing your family members, when you stay abroad is quite natural! Most of the times, when I cook certain dishes which are truly south Indian, the food simply carries you back across the miles. One such favorite item in our household is Ulli Sambar AKA Onion sambar. For this recipe I have to give away the whole credit to the homemade sambar masala prepared by my amma for me. The spicy aroma while cooking fills our home & hearts. I stick to 'ulli' sambar as getting all the Kerala veggies for sambar is quite difficult. The shallots (cheriya ulli) which are readily available in most stores make ulli sambar an easy option. For both of us, this is one of our comfort food :)

Ulli Sambar
Recipe adapted from my amma

Tuna Cutlets ... the only way I eat Tuna :)

I have mostly witnessed my friends and relatives show disdain and surprise when I tell them "I had tuna cutlets and they were quite tasty". Some of them  go into denial if I ask them to try the same saying they do not like tuna. With a little persuasion when they do try, they happen to love it (like me!!!). These are perfect for entertaining guests at home as they can be served as appetizers before lunch or dinner or as snacks anytime.  I usually prefer to make little spicy tuna cutlets and bake lemony cupcakes for guests at home. 

I do make these cutlets whenever we go on a picnic, as Nikhil loves it even if the cutlets are not hot. I have made my opening statement and I hope you are inquisitive enough to try them out. Enjoy a great year ahead!!!

TUNA CUTLETS
Recipe adapted from my friend Nishima's kitchen