Fish masala fry (macha jhal)

There is proverb in odia (regional language of Odisha) "Aaghrane ardha bhojana" which means inhaling smell of food is like eating portion of your meal... And when it happens to be fish masala or in fact any dish of fish, and you happen to be a fish lover you need to have really good self control to resist yourself having a piece or two when it is being fried to be cooked for curry later. There are many versions of fish curry and to me all are yummy and fish masala fry is definitely one of  the top three. Goes well with both rice or roti. If you have not tried yet, give it a shot and you won't regret! Here it goes...

Method

Fish- 5-6 pieces (you can take any fish rohu, tilapia, samon.. I have used salmon)
mustard oil- 4-5 tblsp
Turmeric powder- 2 tsp for marinating and 1tsp for gravy
1tsp  red chilli powder
2-3 whole cardamon pieces.
1 big onion- roughly chopped
2-3 slit green chilies 
handful fresh curry leaves
1 tblsp crushed ginger garlic
2 medium size tomatoes Sliced ,
1tsp cumin- coriander powder
1tsp garam masala 
1tsp tomato sauce
sugar- 1tsp
salt as per taste

Method:

Wash the fish pieces properly and marinate with turmeric and salt for at least half an hour. 
Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry the pieces till they turn golden brown in color. keep them aside.
In the same pan heat 1-2 tbsp oil, whole cardamon pieces. Now add onion,  green chilies and curry leaves. let them fry till onion becomes translucent. 
Add crushed ginger garlic. Saute for 2-3 min. Add sliced tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin- coriander powder and salt.
Saute  till tomatoes become soft. Now its time to add the tomato sauce. Gently add the fish pieces to the masala. Sprinkle some water. Cover and let it cook for 2-3 mins till the masala is well absorbed by the fish. add garam masala to it. mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with plain rice and daal.

Sweet Potato Halwa

I had lots of sweet potatoes in my freeze. Since I was planning on making dessert, I decided to prepare halwa with those sweet potatoes.This sweetpotato halwa is really amazing & simple too..This is especially helpful when making it during festive occasions. Needs only few regular home ingredients. I have added milk powder to it but it is optional.so friends here is the recipe..

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato 2 nos large
Sugar 1 cup or as per your taste
Ghee/ Butter- 2-3 tblsp
handful of (Cashew nuts, raisins, pistachios, almonds), chopped - except  raisins 
Milk- 1 1/2 cups
milk powder- 3-4 tblsp (optional)
pinch of salt
cardamom powder - 1tsp 

Method:

Wash the sweet potatoes & pressure cook it for 2 whistles.
Peel, remove ends and grate the sweet potato.
Heat ghee in a pan, add dry fruits, Saute till they turn light brown.Remove the pan from the heat. keep the sauted dryfruits aside.
Heat the same pan, add grated sweet potato. saute for 8-10 min till the colour changes & now add milk & milk powder to it. stir continuously on low-medium heat till the halwa becomes dry. Keep stirring it to prevent it from getting burnt.
Then add sugar and mix till it dissolves.
Now add cardamom powder and garnish it with cashew nuts and raisins.. Now switch off the flame.Now your halwa is ready to be served. Can be served hot or cold. Enjoy :)