fatmanyash

• carrots- 500 gms,
• cauliflower- 1.2 kgs
• turnips/swedes-500 gms

for the tempering, masala

• mustard oil-100 ml
• fennel seeds- 5 gms
• mustard seeds  -3-4 gms little less than 1 tsp.
• black pepper crushed-20 gms
• jaggery/brown sugar/raw sugar- 200 gms or so, depends on taste
• cumin whole- 5 gms
• coriander powder- 20 gms
• asafoetida- 1 gms
• red chilli powder- 25 gms
• ginger  peeled and chopped- 20 gms
• raisins – sometimes( u add if u want)
• salt – lots.
• vinegar – natural is good .

method

1. Clean and cut the vegetables- carrots into batons, or large chunks, cauliflower into florets, and turnips into wedges.The idea is to achieve minimum wastage.roast in an oven till half dehydrated.
2. Heat oil, add the mustard seeds, crackle, them add cumin,fennel,ginger, red chilli powder, asafoetida.
3. add the jaggery and some vinegar, to form a kind of thickish gravy.
4. chuck in the rest of the ingredients,check for salt, and u are more or less done.
5. add the vegetables, and then put in glass jar, with a screwtop lid.
6. let mature for a month or so before u eat.
7. enjoy with parathas stuffed with potatoes, just like i first did with amyt bhatias grannys pickle..!!!

this recipe owes a lot to le petit fleur de liban, M.ibrahim hadla, from the lush green mountains of lebanon.

yes, came out pretty good, even tho, we used a not so great fish.but this recipe is great for cooking even a not so great fish.the following recipe will serve 4 , if served on its own with some salad and rice, or upto 10 if u have a huge spread .

1. Whole fish – 1kg cleaned , and gutted , scaled, and washed with cold water. ideally use a fish like snapper, or grouper. but, any fish shld work. fresh is best, and minimal amt of bones ideal.if u are fussed abt bones, thenuse fillets, but just not the same.
2. fresh lemon-1 nos
3. onions peeled- 250 gms
4. bell peppers -150 gms or abt 1 good sized one.
5. chopped tomatoes – 400 gms can, or fresh abt 750 gms.
6. cumin pdr- abt 10 gms
7. coriander pdr- abt 20 gms
8. olive oil- pomace abt 20 gms, aand extra virgin abt 10 gms
9. fresh garlic – lots of it. atleast 35- 40 gms
10. fresh flat leaf parsley- lots.
11. fresh coriander – lots
12. salt and peppper to taste
13. roasted or fried pine nuts- to garnish, but not essential, just adds to the stuff clogging up ur arteries, and makes the fish even more tasty.

• umm now make the sauce first.
• saute chopped onions, garlic, in pomace, till lightly borwned. then add the bell peppers,cumin, coriander pdr, and tomatoes.
• simmer till thick,and pizza sauce consistency.
• pat fish dry, squeeze lemon, and salt and pepper on it.
• put in deep roasting pan, or ovenabale container ,and pour the sauce over the fish.
• cook at 350 deg F or 160 C, till half done.
• sprinkle with lots of fresh herbs , chopped, and the pine nuts,a nd the extra virgin olive oil
• finish to cook in the oven.
• serve with steamed rice, saffron rice, cuban bread, baguette, whatever u want to soak….up the oily rich sauce
• TAA DDAAA..

• 500 ml cream heat and add crushed lemongrass stems abt 5 .
• mix 6 egg yolks with 60 gms sugar and add the hot cream mix whisking well
• Divide into ramekins or oven proof ceramic bowls. then heat in a water bath for abt 25 mins at 300 F, has an amazing refreshing flavour. tastes even better if you let the lemongrass infuse for longer.
• chill overnight.then top with some brown sugar and dried lemongrass powder. caramelise with a blow torch or under a hot grill, in the oven,till it starts to get all nice and brown, and voila, ur done.