Fish Curry with Coconut Milk (Instant Pot)

Instant Pot pressure cooker is creating waves in the communities across the world and I am happy I have one at home to make some yummy dishes being absolutely carefree, stress free and mess free :)

Have tried quite a few recipes and I must say, so far so good. Very helpful when you have an errand to run and don't have enough time to cook the dish, switch off the gas and only after that dash out of the house. Instant Pot is a life savior in such scenarios. You wanna run to a grocery store? You wanna pick up your kid from the activities? You wanna go shopping? You wanna linger in your shower little more time :)(hell ya!)? no problemo :) Dump the ingredients of a recipe into the instant pot, set it up appropriately and off you go doing your errands tension free. By the time you get back home, your dish should be ready (hopefully :))

So today I made Tilapia Fish curry using coconut milk and spices. Tastes fantastic. This curry can be enjoyed with the plain rice or noodles. I usually use curry leaves for this preparation but today added thai basil leaves with thai bird chillies and the aroma was so fantastic that I just cudn't wait for it to be done. We enjoyed it as a family-- happily slurping away with the rice.

Very easy to make and a combination of spices and coconut milk gives this curry a heavenly taste and aroma. I actually enjoyed the thai basil twist on it :) It complements well with the aromatic long grained basmati rice or jasmine rice. You can make this same curry adding chicken or shrimp too.

Let us take a look at the Fish Curry with Coconut Milk (Tilapia)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups coconut milk (can use coconut powder or tin)
• 1.5 lb tilapia fish cut into big fillet (take any white fish)
• 2 med onion sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes ( or 1 tomato chopped)
• 4 pods garlic chopped
• 2 inch ginger chopped
• 2 green chillies (or thai bird chilies)
• handful of curry leaves or thai basil
• 1 tbsp coriander pwd
• 2 tsp cumin pwd
• 1 tsp chili pwd (or 1 tsp chili flakes)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek pwd (optional, but it imparts nice taste)
• Either use above 5 powders or 3 tbsp of curry powder.
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice to taste

Preparation:

• Press [Saute] to pre-heat the cooker. When the words 'Hot' appear on the display add oil, then drop curry leaves or thai basil (keep 5 leaves aside to add later),  then add onion, garlic, ginger and saute until onion is translucent. (around 3-4 minutes)
• Add all the powdered spices and saute together for 1 more minute. 
• De-glaze with the coconut milk making sure to un-stick anything from the bottom and incorporate in the sauce. Add green chilies (or thai bird), tomatoes, fish pieces. Stir gently to mix everything. [adjust thickness by adding more coconut milk or water if needed]
• Close the lid of the Instant Pot, Press [manual] and use [+], [-] to adjust time. Set on 3 minutes pressure cooking time. 
• When time is up open the pressure cooker using QPR (don't wait on NPR because fish gets done quickly).
• Add salt to taste, remaining thai basil leaves and lemon juice before serving it hot with Rice or Noodles.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Note*:
 This curry can be easily made on stove top too. Pretty much the same process. Before adding the fish to the curry, bring it to a boil, then add fish pieces and simmer the curry for few minutes till the fish is done. Serve hot with Rice or Noodles.
 The color of the curry varies depending on your chili powder. Some chilies are spicy but don't impart that dark red color and vice versa.

Health Benefits: 
Coconut Milk: 
Coconuts are highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Unlike cow's milk, coconut milk is lactose free so can be used as a milk substitute by those with lactose intolerance. It is a popular choice with vegans and makes a great base for smoothies, milkshakes or as a dairy alternative in baking. Coconuts are one of those foods that oscillate between the 'good' food and 'bad' food camps. Coconut milk, especially the lower fat variety, can be used in moderation (1-2 times per week). source:https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk

Tilapia:
It is a bland yet delicious, lean white fish that has a wide variety of associated health benefits, including its ability to help reduce weight, boost overall metabolism, speed up repair and growth throughout the body, build strong bones, reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, lower triglyceride levels, prevent arthritis, protect against cognitive decline, prevent various types of cancer, reduce signs of aging, boost the health of your hair, and strengthen your immune system.

Potato Stew (Kerala Style)

Call me crazy weird, but sometimes, suddenly out of nowhere, I get a very strong craving to taste this Potato Stew:) I cannot explain the feeling :) The nostalgic aroma literally starts playing up in my brain and I get an urge to have it right then! Today was one of those days and I had no choice but to cook it. Thankfully it doesn't call for an elaborate preparation, it is very simple and easy to make. It actually is eaten with idlis, appams, dosa, idli(instant poha) or roti. I also like to have it as a soup. Everyone may not agree with me on the soup part, but that's just me :)

This above picture reminds me of a married couple :) I was smiling away as I was clicking, marriages happen with food too! These 2 dishes compliment each other so well that it is mindblowing :)
This is my sister's recipe and she makes an excellent stew and steamed rice/ragi shevaya (idiyappam) to go with it. I did not have ragi(millet) in my pantry and cravings for my potato stew was very strong(:)), so just heated some store bought ragi idiyappam/shevaya (You can check the recipe of  ragi idiyappam/shevaya here!)

It is basically a comfort food, and can be enjoyed on any given day. When one is having a cold/sore throat, a super hot bowl of this stew can be served as well :) It originally comes from the state of Kerala.

Let us take a look at this fantastic Potato Stew.

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes med size (peeled)
• 1 onion chopped med size
• 10+6 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies
• 2-inch ginger grated
• 2 cups semi thick coconut milk
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 carrot chopped (optional)

Preparation:

• Dump all the ingredients except 6 curry leaves, coconut milk, carrots and coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Add little water till everything is just immersed and cook for 3 whistles.
• Let the cooker cool down and wait till all the pressure goes away. 
• Now mash all the ingredients with a masher and add coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer for few minutes. 
• Pour coconut oil, drop remaining 6 curry leaves, carrots and cover it with lid. 
• Serve hot with idlis, appams, dosa, rice, roti...

You may also like the recipe of Plain Dosa, Instant Poha Idli, Oats Rava Idli...

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* One can add other veggies also while making this stew. I mostly like it simple and don't like to mix the flavor of potato with other veggies :)

Health Benefits:

Due to the increased interest in foods that are low-carb or low-glycemic index, the potato has unjustly earned a bad reputation. Potatoes consumed in simple roasted, grilled, boiled, steamed manner with little or no oil/butter is very healthy and nutritious for health. It is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron that helps in having strong bones. It has vitamin B6 which supports heart health. Choline is a very important and versatile nutrient in potatoes that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory.

Chicken Molagu

Chicken Molagu is a quick dry chicken preparation and I have fallen in love with it from the word go. Very delicious and a finger licking good dish, guaranteed !! It's a south Indian style of preparation and thanks to a fellow foodie Reshma Chander who introduced me to this dish. If you like it, it can be a regular dish seen on your plates ;) Very flavorful with key ingredients like curry leaves [ yes in a chicken curry ], fennel seeds, and little bit of spices. This is a winner recipe.

Let us take a look at this Chicken Molagu recipe:

CHICKEN MOLAGU

Ingredients:

• Chicken 1.5 lb (750gms) cut into bite size pieces
• Onion 4 med size 
• Tomatoes 4 med size 
• Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs 
• Oil 4 tbsp or as reqd
• Cinnamon 1’’
• Cloves 2 nos
• Cardamom 2 nos
• Saunf(fennel seeds) 1 ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp 
• Red chilli pwd 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli pwd 1 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric pwd ½ tsp
• Coriander pwd 2tsp
• Pepper pwd 1 tbsp 
• Coriander leaves handful
• Water ½ cup
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• In a pan heat 4 tbsp oil, add 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms and 1 ½ tsp saunf fry on sim gas till u get a good aroma.
• Add chopped onions and fry it to a light golden color, now add curry leaves and fry for a minute. 
• Take about 2 tbsp of the fried onion, curry leaves and keep aside for garnish.
• To the remaining fried onions add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. 
• Then add chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 more minutes. 
• Add red chilli pwd, kashmiri chilli pwd, coriander pwd, salt to taste, haldi pwd and fry well till the mixture gets soft and mushy.
• Add the chicken pieces and half a cup of water. Close lid and let it cook till half done.
• At this point add pepper pwd and handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves. Close the lid and cook till done, until water evaporates and masala coats the chicken pieces.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and top it with the fried onions and curry leaves that were kept aside. Chicken Molagu masala dish is ready to be relished.

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein. It helps one build muscles, keeps your bones healthy, relieves stress, boosts immunity and promotes heart health. Always buy organic or a good quality chicken and try to include it in your diet regularly.