Tuna Garlic Fry or Tuna Fish Fry with dash of Garlic...

                               Whenever I go to fish market, I prefer a safe play to buy fishes which are well known to me. Recently, my friend accompanied me(to the market), fishes available they were out of our encyclopedias. So, had to try new varieties with help of the fish vendor. My choice was tuna, as the thorns are less.  

                              Tuna, this sounded new to me, but sounds good. when the fish was sliced, the flesh was red in color too, so little more confused now. Once at home, started my fact-finding about Tuna. Came to know that Tuna is also a super food fish similar to the salmon. Has abundant of omega-3 fatty acids in it and selenium too. Researchers have found that mercury related issues is less in tuna, as to others.

                                                
                              Gave a try of tuna fry with added flavor of garlic and cumin seeds along with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. 99% of indian cooking includes turmeric powder (excluding sweets).


Prep Time 5-10 mins
Cooking Time 10-15 mins(changes depending on quantity)


Ingredients
5-6 nos Sliced Tuna Fish
1/2 tbsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
For shallow frying Cooking Oil
As per Taste Salt

To grind and Make paste
8-10 pods of Garlic
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Sesame Oil (for making paste) 

Procedure

1) Wash the sliced tuna and let the water to drain off. I usually wash fish using salt and turmeric powder added.(see note for procedure). Take the ingredients needed for making the fry.

2) Make the paste of garlic and cumin seeds.

3) Mix the garlic paste, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt using sesame oil and little water(if needed). Now marinate the fish in the mixture.

4) Then shallow fry the marinated tuna and enjoy.

                                   Note:

• Adding cumin seeds along with garlic will give an enhanced taste. If new to cumin or not needed can omit it.
• Marinating with sesame oil, makes the fish soft.

                         Procedure to wash fish

• I usually wash any type of fish adding salt and turmeric powder. When washing with salt and turmeric they both act as an antiseptic. Hence improved health benefit.
• First I wash normally in running water for two times to remove impurities.
• Then by adding salt and wash again.
• And finally with turmeric powder. Hence clean fish.

Ulutham Paruppu Kuzhambu/ Foods for puberty in girls/ Urad Dal Curry (Tirunelveli Special Recipe)

                               Opps! I am too lazy to cook today, but still I want to give my family a healthy food. It might be the mind voice of many homemakers and mothers, sometimes. Your search for easy, simple, quick yet too healthy dish will end up with uluntham paruppu kuzhambu/ urad dal gravy.

             This recipe may sound new to many and it belongs to Tirunelveli (down south district of Tamil Nadu,India) cuisine. It is same as the dal recipe we make using toor dal or moong dal. Urad dal has abundant nutrients in it; calcium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, etc,. It is highly  recommended for pregnant women and girls who attained their puberty. Urad dal can be taken in various forms like ulunthu kali , ulunthu kanji. and kuzhambu.                         

Prep Time 2-3 mins
Cooking Time 12-15 mins

Ingredients

1/2 cup Urad Dal (without skin)  
1 tsp Chilly Powder (or as per taste)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafoetida
As per Taste Salt


To grind
1 tbsp coconut grated
2 nos Green Chilly
2-3 nos Small Onion
1 tsp Cumin Seeds


To Temper
1 tbsp  Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Small onion Chopped
1 sprig of Curry Leaves



Procedure

1) Pressure cook the urad dal with turmeric and asafoetida added. It takes around 10 minutes.

2) Once the urad dal is pressure cooked, now we can temper it, using mustard seeds, chopped onions and curry leaves. 

3) Once the added onion for tempering has turned into brown colour, pour the cooked urad dal into it. 
4) Then coarsely grind the coconut along with onion and cumin seeds. Now add the coarsely grinded paste and salt to the urad dal mixture.

5) Allow it to boil for 10 minutes for the raw smell of coconut to go off.
6) Now you are done with the urad dal gravy.

                            Note:

• Even little amount of urad dal will yield more when cooked. So take the lesser amount than the normal amount (of dal you take) during cooking.
• Green chilly and chilly powder can be increased or reduced as per your taste.
• Need not be worried of the sticky texture of the gravy, it is it's property.

                        This gravy will be sticky, because of the mucinous of the urad dal. The mucinous property is good for diabetics and anti-cancerous too.
                        When taken along with hot steamed rice and ellu thuvaiyal, you will fall in love with this new dish.