Fish Moilee Recipe

An avid lover of all kinds of food here is my take on Fish Moilee, a South Indian speciality.  

I must confess this is not my original recipe. I have reviewed various recipes online and I mixed and matched them all together.

I am not sure what kinds of fish you can use with the recipe but I do know Pomfret goes best with it so go to your local fish market (I go to the market in Deira near the Gold Souk metro) and get your hands on some yummy Pomfret (you can also get it cleaned at the market itself by paying a nominal price).

So what you must have for this recipe is –

-       The fish of course

-       2 tsp Coconut Oil and 4tbsp of vegetable oil (coconut oil gives it that authentic taste but you can skip it)

-       6-7 chopped small baby onions  - the ones used in Sambhar (if using a normal sized onion, 1 will do)

-       3 cloves of garlic hopped extremely fine or mashed

-       1 inch piece of ginger chopped extremely fine or half tsp of ginger paste

-       3-4 green chillies (or less)

-       10 curry leaves (kadi patta)

-       1/4^th tsp of turmeric powder

-       1/4^th tsp of pepper powder

-       1 medium tomato chopped

-       *Half cup thin coconut milk

-       *Half cup thick coconut milk

-       Salt to taste

*Don’t worry about the coconut milk. You can mix a few tbsp of Maggie coconut powder in water to make the coconut milk. For thick milk you might require 3-4 tbsp and for thin milk around 1-2 tbsp. What I did was I bought a can/tin of coconut milk from the store and kept it in the fridge. The milk that settles on the top is thicker. I emptied half the can in a cup and used it as my thick coconut milk. I mixed the remaining half (which is already thin) with some water and voila I got my thin coconut milk.

The above ingredients are to be fried but before you start chopping and sweating, defrost your fish and marinate it with 1/4^th tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and juice of one lime. Rub the marinade gently but all over the fish and keep it aside.

Now you start with the above mentioned ingredients. Start with frying the onions in the coconut and vegetable oil; add in the ginger and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell of ginger goes away (or in my case just reduces). Add in the curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric and pepper powder and fry for about 5 mins on low flame till the raw smell of turmeric goes away. Now add in the thin coconut milk and the marinated fished and the chopped tomato. Let it simmer for a few minutes after which add in the thick coconut milk. Let it simmer for few more minutes. Do not stir as the fish is usually tender and might fall apart. Just rotate the vessel. Add salt as per your requirement and tada fish moilee is ready to serve.

PS – If you are worried about the fish falling apart you can gently fry it before adding it to the curry.

If you worried about the coconut milk splitting, it is always safer to use coconut milk powder mixed with water instead.

Moroccan Bath at the Gallery Salon, The Hyatt Regency, Deira (Dubai)

I recently bought a voucher online from Huckel Buckel for a "Moroccan bath with blowdry" at the Gallery Salon in Hyatt Regency Hotel, Deira. The deal cost me AED 89. It started with a hair wash after which the therapist applied conditioner and then covered my hair with a shower cap. After the hair wash you proceed to the steam room where the Moroccan bath procedure is carried out. After you have showered you can change back in to your clothes and you proceed to get you hair done. I got mine blow dried by a male therapist, however my friend had her hair ironed and she was not sure why. I was happy with the treatment as I do not know any better. It was my first Moroccan bath ordeal. My friend claimed that they should have used Moroccan herbs instead of soap (the deal says it was Moroccan soap) and a loofah. Anyway for AED 89 I thought it was worth it. The therapist was sweet and she offered me coffee/tea when I entered (not many salons/spas do that). She also came in to check on me when she left me in the steam room as I am a bit nervous of being left alone in a steam room and I feel a tiny bit claustrophobic.

I recommend this deal in spite of what my friend says. I guess the whole idea of this ritual is to be scrubbed and that is what I got.

I feel clean and ready to face the long week ahead!

Cheap Indian Food at Pingara,Karama (Dubai)

Well we all know that there are a countless Indian food joints all over Dubai serving a variety of North Indian and South Indian dishes. Famous breakfast hangouts include Puranmals (Oud Metha next to Hot Breads) -try their "medu vada", Sind Punjab in Karama - try their "kheema with paratha",Bombay Chowpatti in Lamcy, Karama -try their "Lassi".

A not so well known eatery located in Karama next to MMI building (close to Marlin Furniture) is a restaurant with a brightly coloured board outside which says "Pingara". Due to the dim lighting you can hardly see inside. As you enter there are a few tables and the kitchen but head up to the first floor and you will find it spacious. The restaurant seems to go with a jungle theme with birds chirping in the background and everything covered in jungle green and brown. Do not expect tip top service, as here you pay for reasonably priced good food. So don't feel shy if you have to call out to the waiter to bring you a menu card which he will with a smile. The menu has a variety of Indian and Chinese dishes but their seafood dishes are what you should go for. Try their chicken drumsticks (specify with gravy and not dry), "neer dosa", fish curry, squid chilli fry, prawns "sukka" or basically ask them what's good and they will tell you. An average of 3-4 items and 2 drinks will close you around Dhs 100.

You can check out their full menu on zomato or just head there sometime and have a look for yourself. For better service go on a weekday when it's not a full house.

Have a good Saturday all!