Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Indian

Calamari Pakora

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This week I decided to combine two of my favorite fried foods – pakora and fried calamari. Calamari dusted in flour, salt, and pepper and dipped in marinara is pretty heavenly as is but I thought we could up the volume a bit by dipping the squid rings into a flavorful pakora batter.

Instead of doing just AP flour, I did a 1:1 ratio of regular to rice flour. The rice flour helps the calamari be extra crispy. For my spice mix, I did a combination of kasuri methi, coriander, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chilli powder. I also added in a good amount of yogurt which you find in most pakora recipes along with a few curry leaves. I also chopped up a few serrano chilies to fry up along with the calamari rings.

These fry up super-fast and pair amazingly with a South Indian-Style Tomato Chutney – (my substitution for the marinara). I didn’t include the chutney recipe here but I plan to in the future. In any case, it’s made up of roma tomatoes, fresh tamarind pulp, cumin, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.

This calamari dish is a seafood lover’s dream. It’s the perfect summer appetizer that screams fusion food truck and pop-up appetizer all over it.

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Calamari Pakora

An Indian version of fried calamari made with a pakora batter

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb calamari squid
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Rice Flour
  • 1/3 cup yogurt
  • 1 1/4 cup water (or more)
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Other Ingredients for the Fry

  • 2 jalapenos or serranos
  • 1/4 cup onion slices

Instructions

  1. Rinse your squid in cold water. Remove any dirt that may be lingering inside.

  2. Cut the squid into rings. Pat dry and set aside.

  3. Now start making the pakora batter. In a separate bowl, combine the AP flour, rice flour, and spices. Slowly mix in the yogurt and thin the batter out with some water. Start off with 3/4 cup and work your way up to 1 cup if needed. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter.

  4. Now add in your calamari along with any other vegetable you'd like to fry up into the batter. Combine well.

  5. In a pot or pan, add at least an inch or so of oil for deep-frying. Once hot, add a handful of calamari at a time. Fry until golden brown. This should only take a minute or two.

  6. Remove with slotted spoon and onto a plate lined with paper towel. Serve the calamari with chutneys and hot sauces of your choice.

Bhindi Masala

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Bhindi is the most frequently cooked vegetable curry in my household. Whether it’s paired with naan or paratha, simple white rice or pulao, daal or tempered yogurt – bhindi masala always has a place on the kitchen table.
I know some people complain about okra being slimy, but this method of cooking it – cutting it into ½ inch rounds and sauteeing it until crispy takes away the unpleasant slimy texture.
The onions and tomatoes give it extra body, sweetness, and acidity alike. For spices – I keep it simple with just a bit of turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, and coriander.
This is the kind of simple-everyday food that I grew up eating and it would be a terrible shame if I didn’t share the recipe here with you!

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Bhindi Masala

A simple yet delicious Indian okra curry made by sauteeing okra with onions, tomatoes, and spices

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp oil
  • 2 lbs okra (yields 8 cups)
  • 1 1/4 cup onion (diced, about 1 1/2 small onions)
  • 2 tomatoes
  • lime juice (to taste)

Spices

  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash any dirt off the okra. With a knife, remove the heads and the bottom stem of the okra. Cut into small 1/2 inch or so rounds. 

  2. Add your oil into a wide pot or pan. Add in your okra. Stir frequently. The okra will take time to cook. Do not add salt just yet. 

  3. After 15 minutes or so, the okra will start releasing its juices and start cooking down.  Add in the diced onions. 

  4. Once the onions are about to get translucent and the okra is caramelizing down, add in the salt. Then add in the tomatoes and spices. Allow the tomatoes to cook down completely. 

  5. Taste and adjust for seasonings. You may need to add more salt and/or spices and lime juice.  Serve with roti or rice.

Idli

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This week I wanted to do a more traditional South Indian recipe – something classic and comforting, healthy and wholesome and a homage my roots. Idli is all of these things and more and is served with a hot and spicy lentil soup called sambar or a tangy cilantro-coconut chutney. Check out my little home-video to see how I make it!

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Idli

A classic South Indian recipe – Idli is a soft and fluffy savory cake consisting of rice and lentils and accompanied with chutneys and sambar

Ingredients

  • 2 cups idli rice
  • 1 cup urad daal
  • 1 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
  • 3/4 tsp salt to taste
  • 3 cups water may need less or more, looking for the consistency of pancake batter

Instructions

  1. Wash and rinse the idli rice and daal separetely for a few minutes. Try to remove as much of the cloudy starch as possible. 

  2. Add the idli rice and daal to two separate bowls and soak with water overnight. 

  3. The next day, drain the water. Add lentill/daal and idli rice to a high-processing blender along with some water and blend until fine.  You will likely have to do this in a few batches.

  4. Empty mixture into a large bowl. Cover with clean lint cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm area with no drafts. Let it sit for 12-24 hours. (Note – if it’s winter, the idli batter will take longer to ferment. If it’s summer, it will happen much faster.)

  5. The next day, check the batter for signs of fermentation. The  batter should have a certain odor and bubble formation. Now add in your salt. (The reason we add the salt now and not before is because salt can slow down the fermentation process). 

  6. Get out your idli maker and gently brush some oil over the molds. 

  7. Add your idli batter to each mold. Slide your idli plates one by one on to the pole/rod. Add an inch of water to the steaming pot that comes with your idli maker. Gently drop the pole of idli molds into the steamer. (Tip – leave the bottom plate empty so you don’t have to worry about water seeping in. If this doesn’t make sense, just watch the video).  Place the whistle on the steamer and place on 

  8. The steamer should start to whistle. The idle will take about 15 minutes or so. Remove from heat and remove molds out of the steamer. 

  9. Wait a few minutes for idli to cool down and then gently, using a pairing knife, remove idli from the molds. If you oil them well enough, they should come out gently. 

  10. Serve with hot sambar and cool chutney.