<![CDATA[ROOKIE RASOIYA - Easy, Healthy, and Modern Indian Recipes for Beginners

<![CDATA[ROOKIE RASOIYA - Easy, Healthy, and Modern Indian Recipes for Beginners - Blog]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:35:38 -0400Weebly<![CDATA["Indian Summer" Corn Salad]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2015 20:35:13 GMThttp://www.rookierasoiya.com/blog/indian-summer-corn-salad

While most people think of summer and get excited about days spent at the beach, hot weather, etc., I get excited about trips to my local farmer's market and all the amazing fruit and vegetables I will find. There's nothing that beats eating foods that in in season; my husband and I even prefer going to restaurants that regularly change their menu based on what is in season. And what is in season right now is sweet summer corn!

Growing up, my father would regularly make bhutas for us -- whole ears of grilled corn, slathered with butter, fresh lime juice, salt, and lal mirch (cayenne pepper). Before we finally purchased a grill, he would roast each ear of corn over an open gas flame from our stove, carefully using tongs to hold the ear and rotate it over the fire.

I used my memories of bhutas as the inspiration for this recipe: a grilled corn summer salad. Not only is the corn in season, but so are the tomatoes and avocados. That makes for a delicious and fresh-tasting salad!

Start off by removing the ear(s) of corn from the husk and soaking it in water for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. This will help the corn kernels stay moist when you grill it.

After soaking the ear of corn, wrap it in aluminum foil to keep the moisture in. Then cook the corn over high heat on an outdoor grill, grill pan, roasting over a flame using tongs, or roasting in an oven. I chose the grill pan method, and over medium-high heat I was able to cook the wrapped ear of corn in 10 to 15 minutes.

While the corn cooks, chop the tomatoes, green onions, and avocado. Cut the lemon into wedges. If using canned chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in water.

Once the cob has cooked in the foil, you can remove the foil and place the corn directly on the grill, grill pan, flame, or oven. This will give your corn that nice smokey char. I also rubbed olive oil over the ear of corn before I put it directly on the grill pan.

Once the corn has enough char for you, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. When it is cool enough to handle with your hands, use a knife to cut off the kernels; I would do this directly over your salad bowl because the kernels tend to start flying everywhere!

Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and green onions. Don't add the avocado yet--it will become mushy if you add it too early. Also squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Add the salt, lal mirch or cayenne pepper, tamarind chutney, and cilantro chutney. Stir and toss to coat and combine.

At this point, taste the salad. Add more salt, lal mirch, chutney, or lemon juice as needed. Once the salad has the right taste for you, add the chopped avocado and then very lightly toss to combine.

Voila! So simple and easy to make. The only thing that is faster than making this salad is how fast you (or your husband, ahem) will eat it up! It can be eaten plain as a salad, with papdi as a form of chaat, or even as a salsa with tortilla chips!! So eat while it--and summer--lasts :)

Ingredients (for 2 people):

Ingredients (for 4 people):

2 ears of corn
1 cup chickpeas
Tomatoes, enough for 1 cup chopped
4 green onion/scallion sprigs
1 avocado
Juice from ½ a lemon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp lal mirch or cayenne pepper
2 tsps spicy cilantro chutney
2 tsps tamarind chutney
Olive oil (for brushing on corn)

4 ears of corn
2 cups chickpeas
Tomatoes, enough for 2 cups chopped
1 bunch green onions/scallions
2 avocados
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lal mirch or cayenne pepper
4 tsps spicy cilantro chutney
4 tsps tamarind chutney
Olive oil (for brushing on corn)

Other optional ingredients: cilantro leaves, sev, fried channa dal, pomegranate seeds.

Equipment:

Grill, grill pan, gas stove with accessible flame, or oven
Aluminum foil
Tongs
Knife

Recipe:

Remove the ears of corn from the husk and soak in water for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After soaking, wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil. Cook the corn on a grill, grill pan, in an oven, or over the flame of a gas stove using tongs. I used a grill pan and set the corn on the pan for roughly 15 minutes.
While the wrapped corn cooks, chop the tomatoes, green onions, and avocado.
Cut the lemon into wedges.
If using canned chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in water.
Once the corn is cooked, remove it from the foil. Brush the corn with olive oil and place the unwrapped corn back on the grill, grill pan, oven, or open flame in order to char some of the corn kernels.
Once sufficiently charred, allow the corn to cool.
Once cool enough to be handled, cut the corn with a knife over a bowl. The kernels will fall right off the ear and into the bowl.
Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, green onions, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Add the salt, lal mirch or cayenne pepper, tamarind chutney, and spicy cilantro chutney. Stir to combine.
Taste the salad and add more salt, lal mirch, chutney, or lemon juice as needed.
Add the avocado and gently fold into the salad.

]]><![CDATA[Mung Dal Ka Cheela: Savory Lentil and Mung Bean Pancakes]]>Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:28:26 GMThttp://www.rookierasoiya.com/blog/mung-dal-ka-cheela-savory-lentil-and-mung-bean-pancakes

Summer is officially here, and where I live it has been especially hot and humid for the past three weeks. On these scorching days, the last things I want to do are spend a lot of time over a hot stove and/or eat something heavy. That is why this recipe for mung dal ka cheela (savory pancakes made from mung lentils and whole mung beans) is a perfect summertime meal.

Cheela are often made from besan (chickpea flour), but my mom makes them using mung dal, which is a lentil obtained by stripping the outer covering of a wholemung bean. When I started making them myself, I used equal parts mung dal and whole mung beans--you can do the same, or use all mung dal or all whole mung beans, whatever you prefer. I like using a combination because you get the nutrition of the entire whole mung bean as well as some of the crispiness from the mung dal.

This recipe is as quick and easy as they come--the only time-consuming part is soaking the mung dal and mung beans!

Start by rinsing the mung dal and whole mung beans. Please them in a bowl or container and add twice the amount of water as dal/beans (so if you have half a cup of dal/beans, add one cup of water). Allow the dal/beans to soak for at least 4 hours, up to 10 hours. So if you are planning to make them for a weekend lunch, you can soak them before you sleep or as soon as you wake up; if you are planning to make them for a weeknight lunch, you can soak them in the morning before you head off to work!

Once the dal/beans have soaked, you will notice that they have absorbed most of the water. This helps to soften the dal/beans and make it easier to create a batter.

Drain the soaking water from the dal/beans. Add fresh water--the amount should be half the amount of dal/beans (so if you soaked half a cup of dal/beans, add one-fourth a cup of fresh water). Then use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the dal, beans, and water. This will create a nice batter!

Add the salt to the batter. You can use any type of salt, but I would recommend regular fine table salt rather than sea salt or kosher salt. Next, chop the onion and green chilies, and peel and grate the ginger.

Add the onion, green chilies, and ginger to the batter and stir so that its thoroughly combined.

To cook the cheela, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of cooking oil and spread the oil over the entire surface of the skillet. Once the oil is hot, add some of the batter to the skillet--I usually add about one-fourth a cup at a time.

Use the back of a curved spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread the batter on the skillet into a round(-ish) shape. The batter is denser than breakfast pancake batter, and it contains onions, so you will need to help shape each cheela.

Once one side is cooked--about 2 minutes--flip the pancake over to cook the other side for another minute or so. Keep in mind these will not be as crisp as a dosa, but if you want them to be crisper you can keep them on the skillet for longer.

Voila! I told you a recipe cannot get more simple than this. Serve the cheela with green chutney, or my personal favorite--a mixture of ketchup and Sriracha sauce!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mung dal (mung lentils)
1/4 cup whole mung beans

Note: you can use all dal or all beans, rather than a combination.

1 and 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 onion
1 1-inch piece ginger
Optional: 3-4 green fingerhot chili pepers (or 1 Serrano pepper)

Equipment:

Immersion blender or regular blender
Skillet

Recipe:

Rinse the mung dal and mung beans. Add them to a bowl or container and add 1 cup of water. Let the dal and beans soak for 4 to 10 hours. Note: you can use all dal or all beans, rather than a combination of the two.
After the dal and beans are done soaking, drain the soaking water and add 1/4th cup of fresh water.
Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the dal, beans, and water. This will create a batter.
Add the salt to the batter and stir to combine.
Chop the onion and green chilies, and peel and grate the ginger. Add the onion, chilies, and ginger to the batter and again stir to combine.
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add 1-and-1/2 teaspoons of cooking oil to the skillet and spread the oil over the entire surface of the skillet.
Once the oil is hot, add some of the batter to the skillet--about 1/4th a cup. Use the back of a rounded spatula or spoon to spread the batter out into a circular shape.
Allow the pancake to cook until done on one side, about 2 minutes. Then flip the pancake over to its other side and allow that side to cook, about 1 minute.
Serve hot with chutney, ketchup, or Sriracha sauce!

]]><![CDATA[How-To: Make Homemade Ghee (Clarified Butter)]]>Sun, 31 May 2015 22:08:54 GMThttp://www.rookierasoiya.com/blog/how-to-make-homemade-ghee-clarified-butter

It has been a few weeks since I last posted, but I had a good reason: my husband and I purchased and moved into our first home! The past few weeks were stressful and busy, but buying your first home is such an exciting time, especially when you've spent the last 12 years in a dorm room or apartment. My wonderful parents were nice enough to come help us set up and organize. They also guided us through the Hindu ritual of blessing a new home, called grah pravesh. As part of this ritual,one needs to make something sweet, and most Indian sweets require the use of ghee, or clarified butter.

The benefit to making your own ghee is that you can make as much as you would realistically use before it goes bad. When you buy it at the store, it comes in a large jar and is typically more than I could ever use in 1 year. When I make it at home, I only end up with about 6 ounces (three-fourths of a cup). In my opinion, ghee gets a little bit of a bad rap. Yes, some people use entirely too much ghee in their cooking, but when used sparingly ghee has some nice benefits, such as its high smoke point and its ability to last for months without refrigeration.

Making your own ghee is easier than you think: all you need is high quality unsalted grass-fed butter. You can easily find this in any grocery store. The other tools you will need are a metal mesh strainer, a few pieces of cheesecloth, and an air-tight container in which to store the ghee.

To make ghee, start by unwrapping the butter and cutting into small square pats. Add the butter to a small pot, preferably non-stick.

Heat the butter over medium-low heat until all the butter pats are dissolved into a liquid. You can see in the picture below that the milk solids are sitting at the bottom of the pot as the butter begins to melt.

The butter will begin to bubble--ensure that the bubbling is more of a simmer than a boil. If the butter begins boiling too vigorously, lower the heat. Eventually a layer of foam will cover almost the entire surface of the butter.

Once the foam covers almost the entire surface of the butter, use a spoon to skim the foam off the surface.

In the photograph above, you can see the foam has been removed from the top of the butter, and you can once again see the milk solids at the bottom of the pot. Now we will allow the butter to foam a second time, so again let the butter simmer until a foam appears at the surface of the butter.

You can see in the photograph above that the butter foamed a second time and covered almost half the surface of the butter.

And now that the foam has been removed, you can see the that the milk solids have become slightly browned pieces at the bottom of the pot. The butter itself has turned from a golden yellow color to an amber color. At this point, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

While waiting for the ghee to cool, you can set up your strainer. Cut a few squares of cheesecloth (I used 3) and place them inside a fine metal mesh strainer. Once the ghee has cooled for 5 minutes, carefully (I wore oven mitts to prevent any burns), pour the ghee through the strainer into a measuring cup or directly into your air-tight container.

You can see that the cheesecloth and strainer have kept the milk solids out of the finished product.

Allow the ghee to cool to room temperature before sealing the air-tight container. Keep the container of ghee in a dark place, such as inside a cupboard, for up to 3 months!

Ingredients (makes 6 oz of ghee):

8 ounce package of high-quality unsalted grass-fed butter, such as Kerrygold brand

Kitchen Equipment:

8 ounce air-tight container
Fine mesh metal strainer
Cheesecloth
Non-stick pot

Directions:

Cut the butter into square pats. Place the pats into the pot over medium-low heat.
Allow the butter to melt completely. The butter will begin to bubble--it should be more of a simmer than a boil. If the butter is bubbling too vigorously, lower the heat.
After a few minutes, a foam will appear on the surface of the butter. After the foam covers most of the surface of the butter, use a spoon to remove the foam.
Allow the butter to bubble and produce a second foam. Again, after the foam covers almost half the surface, use a spoon to remove the foam.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
While the butter cools, cut 3 to 4 squares of cheesecloth and place these squares on top of one another inside the mesh strainer.
Once the butter has cooled, pour the butter through the cheesecloth and strainer into either a measuring cup or directly into the air-tight container. You should see the remaining milk solids caught in cheesecloth.
Allow the ghee to cool to room temperature and then close the air-tight container.
Keep the container of ghee in a dark place, such as a cupboard, for up to 3 months.

]]><![CDATA[Daal Baati: Baked Whole Wheat Rolls & Spiced Lentil Soup]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2015 05:38:12 GMThttp://www.rookierasoiya.com/blog/daal-baati-baked-whole-wheat-rolls-spiced-lentil-soup

I recently went back home for four days to spend time with my parents. It was a relaxing weekend of time just spent at home. One of the best parts of going home is getting the chance to eat your mom's handmade food, and this trip was no different in that regard. We had some of my favorites--aloo paratha, dosa with chutney and sambhar, and a Rajasthani/North Indian dish called daal baati. Daal baati consists of baked whole wheat rolls topped with spiced lentil soup. It is a simple dish--but on a cold and rainy spring day, it is a welcome warm comfort.

I vividly remember being a young girl, getting together with some of our family friends, and enjoying daal baati for dinner. To be honest, when I was really young, I didn't care for daal, so my Mom would just give me the baati with ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. Which is still delicious and I may or may not have had a few of those when I just went home ...

Anyways, daal baati is a real comfort food, and it was perfect to eat in the comfort of my parents' home. It was also really wonderful to spend time cooking with Mom and learning from her in person. As we get older, we realize how those opportunities come less and less. I encourage everyone to spend at least a little time learning how to cook one recipe from your own mom next time you go home!

Note: the first ingredients photo is for the daal. The second is for the baati.

Measure out the four daals (lentils) into a single bowl, and soak in 2 1/2 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight. Then cook the lentils until they are creamy, using either a pressure cooker (15 to 20 minutes) or slow cooker (4 to 6 hours). *Check out my post on cooking lentils in a slow cooker*! You can also make the daal in the pressure cooker or slow cooker a day or two beforehand and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Let's turn our attention to making the baati dough. Combine the atta (wheat flour), rava/sooji (cream of wheat), salt, baking soda, and ajwain seeds in a mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil and yogurt to the dry ingredients. Begin mixing the dough together with your hands.

Slowly add the water to the mixture, 1/4th cup to 1/3rd cup at a time until you reach a doughy consistency. The dough should be wet and slippery, not sticky.

Set the dough aside for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, work on making the daal. Combine the cooked lentils, 2 cups of water, salt, 3/4th tsp turmeric, and a pinch of hing powder in a pot. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil over medium heat.

Add the ginger, chili peppers, and lime juice to the daal.

In a small kadhai/pot, heat the ghee (clarified butter). Once hot, add the cumin seeds and then the garlic--be careful not to let them burn! Keep the ghee swirling and moving to prevent burning. Then add a pinch of hing powder and 1/4th teaspoon turmeric to the ghee. Add the tempered spices to the daal and stir to combine.

Add the cilantro to the daal and stir to combine. Taste the daal and if it is not spicy enough, add lal mirch or cayenne pepper. You can also add salt or more water to taste. But otherwise the daal is all done!

After the dough has sat for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. As it preheats, create golf-ball sized balls out of the dough. If the dough is sticking to your hands, rub some olive oil on your hands.

Make a depression in each baati with your thumb, before placing it on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Turn each baati over onto its other side. Place the baking sheet back in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until a pinkish hue appears.

Let the baatis cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a clean dish towel, gently squeeze each baati so that they crack open slightly.

Serve by breaking two baatis into smaller pieces in a bowl. Cover with a few spoonfuls of hot daal. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if you have any left, and enjoy! I'll also note that if you have leftovers, both the daal and baati can be kept in the freezer for a few months!

Ingredients (16 Baatis - for 4 people):

for daal:

½ cup toor daal
½ cup mung daal
¼ cup chana daal
¼ cup urad daal
4 ½ cups water
1 ½ tsps salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 pinches hing powder
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili peppers
juice from one lime
1 ½ tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 ½ tsps cumin seeds
1 loose cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
Optional: ½ tsp lal mirch (or cayenne pepper)

for baati:

3 cups atta flour or whole wheat flour
¼ cup rava/sooji (cream of wheat)
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp olive oil
½ cup yogurt
2/3 - 3/4 cups water
Optional: 1 tbsp ajwain (carom seeds)
Optional: pinch of baking soda

Equipment:

Slow cooker or pressure cooker
Soup pot
Small kadai to temper spices
Mixing bowl
Baking sheet

Recipe:

for daal

Soak the four lentils (toor, chana, urad, mung) in 2 ½ cups water 6 hours or overnight.
Cook the daal until it is creamy using a pressure cooker (15-20 minutes) or slow cooker (4-6 hours). Check out my post on cooking lentils in a slow cooker for step-by-step instructions.
Add the cooked daal to a pot with 2 cups of water, salt, ¾ tsp turmeric, and a pinch of hing powder. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil over medium heat.
Add the grated ginger, minced chili peppers, and lime juice to the daal.
In a small kadai/pot, warm the ghee (clarified butter). Once hot, add the cumin seeds and then the garlic. Take care to make sure nothing burns. Then add a pinch of hing and ¼ tsp turmeric to the ghee.
Add the tempered spices and ghee to the daal and stir to combine.
Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
Taste the daal—if it is not spicy enough, add lal mirch to the daal.
Add more water or salt to taste.

for baati:

Combine all the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and ajwain) in a mixing bowl.
Add the oil and yogurt and begin to knead the dough with your hands.
Slowly add the water to the mixture, 1/3 -1/4 cup at a time until you reach the proper consistency. The dough should be wet and slippery, not sticky.
Set aside the dough for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make golf-ball sized balls out of the dough; if the dough feels sticky, rub some olive oil on your hands.
In each ball of dough, create a small depression with your thumb before placing on the baking sheet.
Bake the baatis for 25 minutes, then remove them from the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Turn the baatis over to the other side, and then place the baking sheet back in the lower rack of the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes until a pinkish hue appears to the baatis.
Remove them baatis from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. Using a dish towel, very gently squeeze each baati so that they crack slightly.

To serve, break two warm baatis into pieces and place in a bowl. Top with a few spoonfuls of hot daal. Add a squeeze of lime juice if you have it, and enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[Shorshe Maach: Bengali-Inspired Mustard and Green Chili Fish]]>Thu, 26 Mar 2015 04:42:07 GMThttp://www.rookierasoiya.com/blog/shorshe-maach-bengali-inspired-mustard-and-green-chili-fish

My husband, V, and I used to live in another city before we moved to where we are now. Right before we moved, a few friends invited us over for dinner at their home. As always, we had a lovely evening of conversation and laughter. As someone who is mildly obsessed with food, I still remember what we ate: mustard-marinated salmon cooked on a grill. I had never seen mustard used as a marinade before, but I loved it immediately! I found out that using mustard as a marinade for fish and meat is part of classic French cuisine. Fast forward a few years later, to when I learned that mustard fish curry (shorshe maach) is a popular Bengali dish; I knew I had to try it myself!

Mustard is one of the main ingredients in Bengali cooking--whether in seed, paste, or oil form. Traditional recipes for shorshe maach use both mustard paste and mustard oil. Here is the thing: mustard oil is really hard to find in American grocery stores because it is not approved for human consumption by the FDA. I tried the Indian store, but could only find it in one liter amounts! I don't have use for that much mustard oil, and I assume most of you don't either. Not wanting to make myself or any of you purchase mustard oil, I have decided this recipe is Bengali "inspired." There are many authentic recipes for this dish that use mustard oil-and you can find them easily on the Internet. While this recipe isn't necessarily authentic, it is delicious!

Start by peeling and finely mincing the garlic cloves. Combine the garlic with two tablespoons of the mustard in a small bowl. Also note: it is essential to use stone-ground mustard for this recipe! Do not try and substitute with regular mustards that do not contain full mustard seeds.

Cut each fillet in half so you have four pieces of fish. I chose to use halibut because it has a mild flavor and slightly firm texture, which I like. You can easily substitute with tilapia, rockfish, or grouper. Sprinkle salt, turmeric, and red chili powder on one side of each piece of fish.

Rub the salt and spices into the surface of the fish so that it is entirely coated. Flip each piece of fish over and repeat on the other side.

Place the fish into a bowl or other container and pour the mustard/garlic marinade over the fillets. Rub the marinade over the entire surface of the pieces of fish. Cover the container and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, take the fish out of the fridge. Place the oil and add the kalonji (nigella seeds) into the pan and turn onto medium-high heat. Once the kalonji begins to bubble and sputter, add turmeric and red chili powder. After 15 to 20 seconds, add 1 teaspoon of mustard.

The mustard and spices can quickly burn, so swirl the oil around if necessary. Add each piece of fish to the oil and lower the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes.

While the fish cooks, you can trim the stems off the green chili peppers and slice them in half. Once each side of fish has cooked, remove the cover and slowly add the water. Pour the water to the side of the fish--not directly on any piece of fish--to preserve as much of the marinade on the fish surface as you can. Add the sliced chili halves and a pinch of sugar.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly (keep in mind it is a water-based sauce, so it will not be as thick as many other curries).

Garnish with unsweetened shredded coconut and raw green chili peppers. Serve hot by itself or with a bowl of rice/quinoa!

Ingredients (for two 6 oz fillets):

2 6-oz halibut fillets (substitute tilapia, rockfish, or grouper)
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp lal mirch (red chili powder or substitute cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp + 1 tsp stone-ground mustard
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp high-heat cooking oil (ex: grapeseed, avocado, canola)
1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
4 small bird's eye green chili peppers (substitute 1-2 serrano peppers)
1/2 cup water
salt
sugar

Equipment:

Bowl or container
Wok-shaped pan

Recipe:

Peel and finely chop the garlic. Mix the chopped garlic with 2 tablespoons of mustard.
Cut each fillet in half to have 4 pieces of fish. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of red chili powder, and a sprinkle of salt on both sides of the fish. Rub the spices and salt into the entire surface of the fish pieces.
Place the fish in a bowl or container. Add the mustard/garlic mixture into the bowl and rub it into the fish. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the fish from the fridge. Heat the oil and nigella seeds in a pan over medium-high heat until the seeds begin to bubble and sputter.
Quickly add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, and swirl the oil to keep the spices from burning.
Add 1 teaspoon mustard to the oil and again swirl to keep the mustard from burning.
Add the fish pieces to the oil, lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip each piece over to the other side and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
While the fish is cooking, trim the peppers and slice them in half.
Slowly add the water to the pan, being careful not to pour the water directly on the pieces of fish. Add the sliced peppers and a pinch of sugar.
Cover and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to the heat and allow the curry to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve the fish hot with a garnish of unsweetened coconut flakes and/or fresh green chili peppers. Eat by itself or with rice/quinoa.

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