[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

I wonder where they dry them.
In ovens, maybe?

Sun-dried tomatoes:
in 3 sunny days, from this


to this


to this


Took advantage of the hot summer in Bangalore. Now to make some Pesto!

[bblost]

Is that just cut up tomatoes?
Do I keep them in direct sunlight.

Thanks

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

....
in 3 sunny days, from this


to this


to this
.....

That is indeed an excellent result!
However, I would be fearful of doing this in Delhi; I'd be very worried about the pollutants that will have settled on the tomatoes!
After all, Delhi is the most polluted city in the world now!

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by bblost

Is that just cut up tomatoes?
Do I keep them in direct sunlight. ...

Yes, in direct sunlight. Cover it with a mesh so that a. birds don't eat it before you do, and b. you don't get leaves and other wind-carried detritus getting into it.

I sprinkled dried oregano and basil along with a bit of salt before putting it in the sun.

Originally Posted by anupmathur

... I would be fearful of doing this in Delhi; I'd be very worried about the pollutants that will have settled on the tomatoes ...

Mathur-sab, don't worry - too short a time for pollutants to be affecting it. Best done on the roof though - very little wind-blown dust.

[Aroy]

I have tried drying various things - Methi, Ginger, Onion etc. What I do to prevent dust is to use a glass container with glass top, and leave a little gap between the lid and the jar. It may take some more time but there is no dust.

Regarding pollutants, they are every where in Delhi and try as much as you like you will not get rid of them. The only saving grace is that air borne pollutants which can settle on your food is way less than water borne pollutants we get in vegetables and fruit.

[bblost]

I have a issue with my ceramic pan.

When frying a full fish like mackerel.
Its easy to have the sides to make contact with the pan. But how do I get the top and stomach to make contact. The fish keeps slipping away from the slippery surface.

How do you manage?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by bblost

I have a issue with my ceramic pan.

When frying a full fish like mackerel.
Its easy to have the sides to make contact with the pan. But how do I get the top and stomach to make contact. The fish keeps slipping away from the slippery surface.

How do you manage?

Why do you want the fish to touch the pan. We usually deep fry the fish.

For shallow fry with less oil
. Use a larger diameter pan so that the fish fits in comfortably
. To prevent the fish curling up, make deep scores on the sides, that prevents curling up (which happens as the top skin shrinks and pulls the fish). Similarly to get straight prawns, rather than curled up ones, make deep score on the leg side of the prawns.

[bblost]

I paste the fish in a mixture of

ginger garlic paste
turmeric
salt
chilly powder
anything that catches my fancy

Then keep it in the fridge till I want to cook it.

I never deep fry fish. Its always pan fry.
So what I feel is that the masala will remain uncooked if it does not touch the pan.

In the old teflon pans, I used to put enough oil so that half the fish was soaked in it.

For the ceramic pan I put just a tablespoon or two of oil.

So the masala gets only dry baked.

I want all the parts of the fish to touch the pan so that that little oil there can cook the masala.

While I am able to comfortably do it with the sides.
I am having difficulty in getting the masala inside the stomach and on top to make contact.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by bblost

....
I want all the parts of the fish to touch the pan so that that little oil there can cook the masala.
....

Try brushing the oil onto the fish rather than oiling the pan.
Dry heat will do the job; it would be better to cover the pan.

[Aroy]

Have you tried cooking with a lid on?

With a tight lid on, you will be steaming the fish, and that will get all the spices into the fish. I do whole fish either in a Microwave if the fish is small, or ib the gas oven if it is big. In both the cases I use pans with lids, so that the fish cooks in the steam. After it is cooked, you can always brown it by taking the lid off.

One good thing about baking is that you can use zero oil (as a cooking medium). The only oil you use is for the taste.

One thing to remember is to score the skin so that the spices permeate inside the fish.

[Sheel]

Please help me with preparation for cold coffee. Nothing fancy, but one can prepare with milk, coffee, ice.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Please help me with preparation for cold coffee. Nothing fancy, but one can prepare with milk, coffee, ice.

I do it with chilled milk, the Amul packet milk tastes better; no ice. Add sugar and a generous spoon of Bru Instant. Mix thoroughly and my version of cold coffee is ready. Powdered sugar should be easier to dissolve in cold milk.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Please help me with preparation for cold coffee. Nothing fancy, but one can prepare with milk, coffee, ice.

What I do is to make normal coffee, and pour it over a glass of ice. I add an extra spoon of sugar to the coffee as I prefer the iced coffee to be. A bit more sweeter than the regular coffee.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by bblost

... how do I get the top and stomach to make contact. The fish keeps slipping away from the slippery surface. ...

If you have 2 fish in the pan, balance one with the other. Or use 2 wooden spatulae to hold them vertical.

Originally Posted by Sheel

Please help me with preparation for cold coffee. Nothing fancy, but one can prepare with milk, coffee, ice.

Blitz everything together in a mixie (large jar). First blitz the ice, then add the other stuff. This will also incorporate some air making a delicious foam on top.

[anupmathur]

Sheel, good coffee (instant or brewed), milk and sugar are the basic ingredients.
Blend them with some ice and the basic cold coffee is ready. The coffee should be made much stronger than usual so that it tastes right after blending with ice.

There are many little additions that can take it to the next level.
A bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, almond extract, chocolate powder, Amul cream etc. can be added singly or severally, depending on what your taste runs to.
For sweetening you can try a bit of honey or maple syrup along with the sugar.