Category: Recipes

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley

Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley

Weeknights are hectic and call for quick and easy meals . As much as I love to cook, I am never the one to toil day after day for hours in the kitchen. Hence everyday meals are quite simple for us and we save the heavy duty and indulgent meals for the weekend. Hence tray baked meals are an absolute saviour. This Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley is the perfect weeknight dinner for our family. It is simple , flavourful and salmon as a fish packs a nutritious punch. (100 g) portion of farmed salmon contains 41% of the recommended daily intake of protein and at least 20% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, vitamin D, vitamin E and selenium.

And if you are like me and find the flavour of salmon a bit too strong, this recipe is just for you. Garlic, lemon and parsley balance and complement that flavour perfectly.

Tips to make a perfectly baked salmon:

  1. If using frozen salmon, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, wash and pat dry well with a kitchen towel before marinating
  2. Cut the fillets in equal size so they bake evenly
  3. When marinating poke some holes in the salmon using a toothpick so it absorbs flavours well
  4. Wrap it in a foil and bake for a shorter time for deeper flavours and softer textures
  5. You can swap lemon juice and rind with freshly squeezed orange juice and double the quantity of orange juice for an alternate recipe

Ingredients for Tray Baked Salmon:

  1. 4 salmon fillets (approximately 150 grams each)
  2. Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
  3. Minced garlic- 4 teaspoons
  4. Finely chopped parsley- 4 tablespoons + some extra to serve or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  5. Lemon juice- 1.5 tbsp
  6. Lemon rind- 2 tbsp
  7. Sea salt- 1 tsp or as per taste
  8. Freshly cracked black pepper- 1/2 teaspoon

Method to prepare Tray Baked Salmon:

  1. Wash and clean the salmon fillets and pat dry
  2. In bowl mix olive oil, minced garlic, 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, lemon juice and lemon rind
  3. In a wide glass tray or zip lock bag place the fish fillets and pour over the prepared marinade and mix well; let it sit in the oven for at least 30 minutes or upto an hour or two
  4. Preheat your oven to 205 degrees centigrade(400 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a wide and shallow baking tray with foil; brush oil on the foil and keep aside
  5. Line the tray with marinated fish making sure not to crowd the fillets ( do not discard the marinade ) and bake for 10 minutes
  6. Pull out of the oven after 10 minutes, flip over the fillets and pour over the remaining marinade evenly and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the oven
  7. If you decide to foil bake the fish then wrap the fillets individually pouring over equal amounts of remaining marinade and bake until done. Foil baking should take lesser time so check after 10 minutes; perfectly baked salmon starts to look flaky and turns a whitish pink hue
  8. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley with a side of butter roasted veggies or rice

Print
Tray Baked Salmon- Easy & Healthy 20 minute recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets (approximately 150 grams each)
  • Olive oil - 3 tablespoons 
  • Minced garlic- 4 teaspoons
  • Finely chopped parsley- 4 tablespoons + some extra to serve or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • Lemon juice- 1.5 tbsp
  • Lemon rind- 2 tbsp
  • Sea salt- 1 tsp or as per taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper- 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Wash and clean the salmon fillets and pat dry
  2. In bowl mix olive oil, minced garlic, 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, lemon juice and lemon rind 
  3. In a wide glass tray or zip lock bag place the fish fillets and pour over the prepared marinade and mix well; let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or upto an hour or two
  4. Preheat your oven to 205 degrees centigrade (400 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a wide and shallow baking tray with foil; brush oil on the foil and keep aside
  5. Line the tray with marinated fish making sure not to crowd the fillets ( do not discard the marinade ) and bake for 10 minutes
  6. Pull out of the oven after 10 minutes, flip over the fillets and pour over the remaining marinade evenly and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the oven
  7. If you decide to foil bake the fish then wrap the fillets individually pouring over equal amounts of remaining marinade and bake until done. Foil baking should take lesser time so check after 10 minutes; perfectly baked salmon starts to look flaky and turns a whitish pink hue
  8. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley with a side of butter roasted veggies or rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/tray-baked-salmon-with-lemon-and-parsley/

Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley

Other recipes with fish you might like:

Pan Fried Salmon in Mint, Coriander Sauce

Tomato Fish Curry and Childhood Memories

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Uncategorized

One Pot Mushroom Pulao/Pilaf

One Pot Mushroom Pulao/Pilaf

One of the most popular vegetarian sources of protein are mushrooms. With so many varieties available they are very popular amongst Chefs for creating a variety of recipes. And Mushroom Pulao/Pilaf is one such loved recipe introduced to me by a Chef.

Before I take you down the memory lane and share my story about this one pot mushroom pulao, let us take a few minutes to understand the varieties of mushrooms there are and their uses.

Kinds of Mushroom and how best to use them

Cremini mushroom with its delicate texture make for great stir fries and even raw in salads. Portobello is bigger and has a richer and meatier taste and I love to use them in vegetarian versions of chicken curries and are also great for grilling. Shittake with their thicker stems can be used similarly. Portobello are also a great vegetarian substitutes in burgers with their big caps.

Enokis are great for stir fries, salads and hot pot. Porcini have a woodsy flavour and are great in pasta sauces and risottos; basically quite popular in Italian and French cooking.

The most exotic variety is Morels which have rich nutty flavour and spongy structure that helps absorb sauces. They are not quite commonly available and also quite expensive (also USD 500 a kilo according to this article by South China Morning Post).  With a honeycomb appearance they are quite pretty to look at too! They are delicious on omelettes and steaks.

Memories of Khumb Pulao

I first tried morels during my stint with Taj Hotels when one of my Chefs invited me to try his special Khumb Pulau. I was in awe of the flavours that dish had to offer. It was nothing like anything I had tasted ever before and needless to say I tried to coax the said Chef to share the recipe but as one would guess-failed. It was one of his prized possessions and no way he was going to share it with me.

I did learn about morels from him though and that the best ones come for Kashmir and are pretty hard to forage. If I remember correctly the pulaao had a few kinds of mushrooms but morels imparted the most beautiful flavours.

I have since seen them here in Hong Kong wet markets but never been too sure to pick some. However the taste of Morel Pulaao has stayed with me and that is what inspired me to create this One Pot Mushroom Pulaao recipe.

I have used Shittake, Portobello and Cremini varieties in this recipe but if you do manage to lay your hands on Morels do swap some of the other mushrooms with equal quantities of Morel.

Tips to Make Perfect One Pot Mushroom Pulao:

  1. Use good quality vegetarian broth. Chicken broth can be used too but that overpowers the flavours of mushroom sometimes (depending on the brand). Hence I recommend sticking to vegetarian
  2. Before you make this pulaao I suggest you test your brand of basmati rice separately to see the amount of liquid(water/broth)  it needs to cook just right (not too mushy and not too hard). The ratio of rice to liquid is usually 1:2 but can also be 1:1.5 in some cases
  3. Roast the nuts in some ghee before using them as garnish for extra richness or you could just dry roast them to keep it light and healthy
  4. It tastes even better the day after so if you are planning to make it for a gathering or party make it the night before and then store in a wide glass container so that the grains do not pile up too much and make the bottom layers mushy
  5. If for some reason you end up adding too much liquid , turn off the heat when the rice is 90% cooked (remember we do not want overcooked rice for pulaao); then using a strainer bring out the cooked rice and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for a few hours before reheating and serving
  6. It is always a good idea to reheat pulaao in a shallow baking dish in a preheated oven at 145 degrees. Spread the rice evenly. Then sprinkle some water/vegetable stock all over the rice, cover tightly with foil, poke a few holes into the foil and heat stirring occasionally with a fork for even distribution of heat. Around 15-20 minutes should be enough
  7. Add salt while taking into account that the vegetable stock would be already seasoned

Ingredients for One Pot Mushroom Pulao

  1. Long grained Basmati Rice: 2 cups
  2. Vegetable stock: 3 cups (or as needed based on the brand of rice. Refer to point 2 under Tips)
  3. Shittake Mushrooms, sliced : 1.5 cups
  4. Portobello Mushrooms, sliced: 1 cup
  5. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced: 1/4 cup
  6. Sesame Oil: 2 tbsp
  7. Dry roasted or ghee roasted chopped nuts and raisins (almonds, pistachios, cashews): 2.5 tbsp
  8. Ghee- 2 tbsp
  9. Ginger, finely chopped: 4 tbsp
  10. Spring Onions, finely chopped: 2 tbsp
  11. Salt and freshly ground pepper to season

Method to make One Pot Mushroom Pulao

  1. Preheat oven to 145 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. In a thick bottomed wok bring the veg stock to boil , add ghee and season with some salt and add pre-washed rice . Cook on a medium flame until just done; spread on a parchment lined baking tray and set aside
  3. In the same wok, heat oil and add ginger and sauté for a minute or two until raw smell disappears. Then add mushrooms. Add Shittake first as it takes the longest to cook, followed by Portobello and Cremini. Give each kind of mushroom 5 minutes to cook before adding the next variety. Keep the flame medium-low, spread out the mushrooms well and avoid stirring them too much . We do not want to overcook the shrooms and want to retain the crunch. The process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes
  4. Turn off the heat and add spring onions and mix gently
  5. While the rice and mushrooms are cooking, coarsely chop nuts and raisins and roast on a low flame in some ghee till lightly browned and keep aside
  6. Add cooked mushrooms and spring onions to cooked rice and mix gently with a flat spatula or fork
  7. Cover the baking tray with rice tightly with foil and poke few holes into it all over using a toothpick
  8. Let it sit in the oven for 7 minutes at 145 degrees to absorb flavours (time might vary depending on the oven), then bring out and add roasted nuts and raisins and freshly ground black pepper
  9. Serve right away with a side of raita

One Pot Mushroom Pulaao

Print
One Pot Mushroom Pulao

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • Long grained Basmati Rice: 2 cups
  • Vegetable stock: 3 cups (or as needed based on the brand of rice. Refer to point 2 under Tips)
  • Shittake Mushrooms, sliced : 1.5 cups
  • Portobello Mushrooms, sliced: 1 cup
  • Cremini Mushrooms, sliced: 1/4 cup
  • Sesame Oil: 2 tbsp
  • Dry roasted or ghee roasted chopped nuts and raisins (almonds, pistachios, cashews): 2.5 tbsp
  • Ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Ginger, finely chopped: 4 tbsp
  • Spring Onions, finely chopped: 2 tbsp
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to season

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 145 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. In a thick bottomed wok bring the veg stock to boil , add ghee and season with some salt and add pre-washed rice . Cook on a medium flame until just done; spread on a parchment lined baking tray and set aside
  3. In the same wok, heat oil and add ginger and sauté for a minute or two until raw smell disappears. Then add mushrooms. Add Shittake first as it takes the longest to cook, followed by Portobello and Cremini. Give each kind of mushroom 5 minutes to cook before adding the next variety. Keep the flame medium-low, spread out the mushrooms well and avoid stirring them too much . We do not want to overcook the shrooms and want to retain the crunch. The process shouldn't take more than 15 minutes
  4. Turn off the heat and add spring onions and mix gently
  5. While the rice and mushrooms are cooking, coarsely chop nuts and raisins and roast on a low flame in some ghee till lightly browned and keep aside
  6. Add cooked mushrooms and spring onions to cooked rice and mix gently with a flat spatula or fork
  7. Cover the baking tray with rice tightly with foil and poke few holes into it all over using a toothpick
  8. Let it sit in the oven for 7 minutes at 145 degrees to absorb flavours (time might vary depending on the oven), then bring out and add roasted nuts and raisins and freshly ground black pepper
  9. Serve right away with a side of raita 
https://onewholesomemeal.com/one-pot-mushroom-pulao-pilaf/

Some other Pulao/Pilaf recipes you may like:

Methi Pulaao | Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

Prawn Pulao Recipe | Easy Recipe with Coconut Milk

Tandoori Cauliflower Pulao | Tandoori Gobi Rice Recipe

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Uncategorized

Kurkuri Bhindi-Easy Oven Baked Recipe

Kurkuri Bhindi-Easy Oven Baked Recipe

Kurkuri Bhindi is a dish loved by all. For that matter bhindi, Okra or Lady’s Finger is quite a versatile vegetable. Not only can it be cooked in a zillion different ways ,it is seldom disliked. Most kids who would say no to all green veggies will say yes to the bhindi. One of my favorite ways to eat bhindi is just stir frying it in mustard oil with diced onions and potatoes; no spices, just turmeric , salt and green chilies. If made well it makes for the perfect side with hot ghee rice and daal. Most Indian kids may (or may not) have fond memories of eating bhindi with pooris or parathas in their school lunchbox. I also have a Zaatar flavoured Sesame-Peanut Bhindi recipe on the blog that you will love.

This dish however was not an everyday thing growing up. One would eat it at restaurants or parties and celebrations. I do not think if my mother ever made it at home. But things are quite different these days and almost all popular restaurant dishes are being recreated at home so I decided to my own baked version at home.

The recipe itself is pretty straightforward but it does need some prep and tedious slicing. Because we are baking and not frying the bhindi (which is how this dish is traditionally made), it is imperative that all slices are more or less similar in size for even baking.

Preparing Bhindi (okra) for Baked Kurkuri Bhindi

  1. Make sure you use the most tender bhindi for this recipe
  2. Wash the bhindi well one by one under running water
  3. Drain well and spread out on a clean kitchen towel and let dry preferably for a few hours . This can be done well ahead of time
  4. In case you wash, dry and place bhindi in the refrigerator, bring it out a couple of hours before cooking and wipe well with a kitchen towel before slicing
  5. Next, chop off the tip and the bottom then working carefully slice the bhindi vertically into half; then further slice the halves into thin sticks (see video below for reference)
  6. Discard the seeds
  7. You can even refrigerate the bhindi for unto a day in advance at this stage

Ingredients

  1. Bhindi/Okra: 150 grams
  2. Besan or chickpea flour: 1/4 cup
  3. Rice flour: 1 tbsp
  4. Amchoor+Chaat Masala- 1 teaspoon
  5. Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
  6. Turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp
  7. Red Chili powder: 1 tsp or as per taste
  8. Coriander powder: Little less than 1 tsp
  9. Ajwain (carrot seeds)-1/2 tsp
  10. Mustard Oil: Approximately 1/3 cup and a little extra
  11. Lime juice : 1 tbsp
  12. Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

Method for Baked Kurkuri Bhindi

  1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees for a minimum of 15 minutes. The bhindi will not turn out nice and crispy if the oven is not hot enough
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a sheet of baking parchment on top. This makes sure the bhindi will not stick to the bottom and come out easily
  3. Add all the dry ingredients with the bhindi, mix well and add mustard oil and give it a final mix. Do not add salt at this stage
  4. Mix in the lime juice and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the bhindi is half cooked and still retains its green colour . The time may vary based on the oven
  5. Add salt, mix well and bake for another 5-7 minutes
  6. If through the process you feel the mix is too dry feel free to spray some more oil while baking

Watch a step by step recipe video here

Print
Baked Kurkuri Bhindi- Quick to put together side

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Ingredients

  • Bhindi/Okra: 150 grams
  • Besan or chickpea flour: 1/4 cup
  • Rice flour: 1 tbsp
  • Amchoor+Chaat Masala- 1 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp
  • Red Chili powder: 1 tsp or as per taste
  • Coriander powder: Little less than 1 tsp
  • Ajwain (carrot seeds)-1/2 tsp
  • Mustard Oil: Approximately 1/3 cup and a little extra
  • Lime juice : 1 tbsp
  • Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees for a minimum of 15 minutes. The bhindi will not turn out nice and crispy if the oven is not hot enough
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a sheet of baking parchment on top. This makes sure the bhindi will not stick to the bottom and come out easily
  3. Add all the dry ingredients with the bhindi, mix well and add mustard oil and give it a final mix. Do not add salt at this stage
  4. Mix in the lime juice and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the bhindi is half cooked and still retains its green colour . The time may vary based on the oven
  5. Add salt, mix well and bake for another 5-7 minutes
  6. If through the process you feel the mix is too dry feel free to spray some more oil while baking
https://onewholesomemeal.com/baked-kurkuri-bhindi-quick-to-put-together-side/

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

For quite some time now I have been contemplating investing in an air-fryer. Most people who possess one highly recommend it and those of us who don’t, contemplate and drool at the thought of binging on all the yummy fried food without the guilt. At least I do. What’s stopping me then you might ask? Like most people living in Hong Kong-Kitchen counter space is a luxury and I am forever trying to figure out best and most efficient storage options. As such an air fryer does seem like bit of a luxury at the moment . Hence for now I am happy creating recipes like this Crispy Oven-Baked Fish which make sure I miss an air-fryer a tad bit less!

Why Baked Fish is Always a Winner?

Fish in itself is a complete meal with all the micro and macro nutrients that it possesses. Most fish cook easily and retain flavours very well. So, be it Indian, Thai, Chinese or Continental flavours, a fish (especially flaky white ones) would do absolute justice to any of it. Not to mention it requires minimal prep and bakes/cooks really fast so it is perfect for those hectic weeknight meals.

We usually do fish once a week- foil baked, pan fried or in curries and soups and sometimes deep fried when we are feeling a tad indulgent. One of my favourite baked fish recipes is the classic Indian Patra Ni Machchi ( whole pomfret or pompanos baked in banana leaves with a spiced coriander-coconut paste). I will be sharing that recipe with you real soon!!

Tips to Make Perfect Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

  1. Use a white fish like Tilapia, Basa(pangasius), Haddock or Sole
  2. Use boneless fillets as they work best for this recipe
  3. Make sure the oven is nice and hot (preheated at least for 15 minutes at 204 degrees) before you pop the prepared fish into it
  4. Prepare your tray by double lining it with foil first and then parchment followed by spraying it with oil
  5. I kept the seasoning simple using only dried parsley, black pepper and some cayenne but feel free to get creative and use your own favourite seasoning mix. We do one with sumac, cayenne and dried red chilli flakes  and it imparts a nice citrusy kick to the crust
  6. Use Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs for best results as they make for the crispiest crusts
  7. To reduce prep time prepare three different stations next to each other- first a wide plate with all purpose flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne, another one with breadcrumbs, salt, the remaining black pepper & parsley and a bowl with eggs beaten lightly & remaining seasoning
  8. Slice the fillets into approximately 2X3 inches size so they are easy to work with and do not break easily while baking
  9. Evenly divide the salt and other seasonings in all the three coatings for best results
  10. I also like to marinate the fish in some lime and pepper and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before cooking but you can do it for 30 minutes or so or skip this step. Marinating in lime helps take out the strong fishy odour

Ingredients for Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

  1. Boneless fillet of any white fish like Tilapia, Basa(pangasius), Haddock or Sole- 300 gms
  2. All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
  3. Panko Bread Crumbs- 1 cup
  4. Dried Parsley- 2.5 tbsp divided into three equal parts
  5. Cayenne Pepper- 1.5 tbsp (or as per taste) divided into three equal parts
  6. Salt: 1.5 tsp (or as per taste) divided into three equal parts
  7. Pepper, coarsely ground : 2 tsp
  8. Two eggs lightly beaten
  9. Lime juice, freshly squeezed, 1/2 tsp black pepper for marinade
  10. Oil to brush/spray on the baking sheet and fish before baking

Method  for Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

  1. Slice the fish fillets into desired size (preferably 2X3 inches) and marinate in lime juice and half a teaspoon black pepper for a minimum of half an hour
  2. In the meantime preheat your oven to 204 degrees and line a baking sheet with some foil topped with parchment and brush oil all over
  3. Prepare three stations for coating the fish. At the first station place a wide plate with All Purpose Flour, one third each of the dried parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and mix;
  4. At the second station whisk the eggs in a bowl and add half of the leftover parsley, cayenne and black peppers and salt and mix ; finally at the third station, in a wide plate place Panko Bread Crumbs and the remaining seasonings and mix
  5. Bring the marinated fish out of the fridge five minutes before baking and let it rest
  6. Then begin by lightly coating the fish fillets with All Purpose Flour mix followed by gently dipping it in the bowl with eggs followed finally by the bread crumbs mix
  7. Place the coated fillet on prepared baking pan and continue the same for the remaining 
  8. Spray or brush some oil over the fish and bake for about 20 minutes at 204 degrees , flipping sides halfway through the process for even baking
  9. The baking time may vary according to the oven so make sure to check intermittently . Once the outside coating turns a light golden the fish is done
  10. Serve with a side of garlic mayo, hot sauce and lime wedgesCrispy Oven-Baked Fish

Print
Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 2-3

Ingredients

  • Boneless fillet of any white fish like Tilapia, Basa(pangasius), Haddock or Sole- 300 gms
  • All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
  • Panko Bread Crumbs- 1 cup
  • Dried Parsley- 2.5 tbsp divided into three equal parts
  • Cayenne Pepper- 1.5 tbsp (or as per taste) divided into three equal parts
  • Salt: 1.5 tsp (or as per taste) divided into three equal parts
  • Pepper, coarsely ground : 2 tsp
  • Two eggs lightly beaten
  • Lime juice, freshly squeezed, 1/2 tsp black pepper for marinade
  • Oil to brush/spray on the baking sheet and fish before baking

Instructions

  1. Slice the fish fillets into desired size (preferably 2X3 inches) and marinate in lime juice and half a teaspoon black pepper for a minimum of half an hour
  2. In the meantime preheat your oven to 204 degrees and line a baking sheet with some foil topped with parchment and brush oil all over
  3. Prepare three stations for coating the fish. At the first station place a wide plate with All Purpose Flour, one third each of the dried parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and mix;
  4. At the second station whisk the eggs in a bowl and add half of the leftover parsley, cayenne and black peppers and salt and mix ; finally at the third station, in a wide plate place Panko Bread Crumbs and the remaining seasonings and mix
  5. Bring the marinated fish out of the fridge five minutes before baking and let it rest
  6. Then begin by lightly coating the fish fillets with All Purpose Flour mix followed by gently dipping it in the bowl with eggs followed finally by the bread crumbs mix
  7. Place the coated fillet on prepared baking pan and continue the same for the remaining
  8. Spray or brush some oil over the fish and bake for about 20 minutes at 204 degrees , flipping sides halfway through the process for even baking
  9. The baking time may vary according to the oven so make sure to check intermittently . Once the outside coating turns a light golden the fish is done
  10. Serve with a side of garlic mayo, hot sauce and lime wedges
https://onewholesomemeal.com/crispy-oven-baked-fish/

Categories
Food Photography and Food Styling Guest Blogs

Shooting Closeups with Standard Lenses

Shooting Closeups with Standard Lenses
Shooting Closeups with Standard Lenses
Shilpa Kerur- Food Content Creator & Photographer

Hello guys! I am Shilpa, a food content creator based in Bangalore, India and the person behind my blog and Instagram page: Vanilla Trails.

A little about myself

I am an engineer by profession and quit a 9 year stint in the IT sector to  finally follow my passion for food. I discovered my love for food quite recently. Until 10 years ago, I didn’t even know I liked exploring new cuisines and flavours nor did I know that I was capable of cooking even rice let alone bake fancy desserts.

It was my love for baking and creating healthy recipes that began my journey of food photography. I wanted to be able to share these recipes and pictures with everyone.

A self taught baker and food photographer most of my knowledge is thanks to generous people who have shared their knowledge on their blogs and YouTube channels. Here is my humble attempt to share a few tips on shooting close ups with standard lenses that I have learnt along the way.

Shooting Closeups doesn’t have to be an expensive affair

We all love the magic of a good closeup shot- the beauty in the details that our eyes don’t commonly register.

For clicking a good closeup shot, one needs a macro lens. It lets you get closer to the subject, capture the details that our naked eye can’t even see. That’s why most of us find a close up shot so fascinating!

Macro lenses undoubtedly are the best way to capture a closeup. However when one is beginning their photography journey it may not always be the most economical option.

So what do you do if you love closeup shots and you don’t have a macro lens? Well, here are some things that will help you take beautiful close up pictures with your regular lens.

Things to keep in mind while shooting close-ups

The first thing to understand when you are trying to click closeups shots, is – the more enlarged an object more visible the details. So one has to focus on capturing as much details as possible to take a good close up shot. Here are some factors to consider.

Shooting Closeups with Standard Lenses-Tips & Tricks

Aperture

Use a high F-stop number. This means that the aperture is high leading to a wider depth of field. Wide depth of field indicates that it keeps maximum things in the frame in focus. It is always a good idea to have as much detail of the object in focus as possible. Because when we see the object enlarged, which is what happens when we shoot close up, the details are that much more visible. Blurry closeups are hardly attractive. A good F-stop number to work with in this case, will be just 1 or 2 stops below the maximum value on your camera for that lens.

Light and ISO when shooting closeups

The second thing to consider while clicking closeup is to shoot in enough light, even if you want a moody feel to your pictures. Clicking in low light always affects the details. It will also require you to shoot with a higher ISO to increase the amount of light in the frame. But this in turn will introduce noise in the picture and the details will not be as sharp as needed for a closeup shot.

Tripod is key when shooting closeups

The next thing that helps big time is using a tripod. Clicking handheld can create a blur with even the slightest movement of our hands. A tripod ensures that there are no compromises in terms of sharpness because of any camera movement. This results in sharper images.

Minimum focus distance when shooting closeups

Another factor that plays a big role when trying to click closeup, is not to get too close to the subject physically when shooting.

What is Minimum Focus Distance?

Every lens has a minimum distance at which it can start to focus well. The minimum focus distance is the shortest distance at which a lens can focus. Set up your camera at the closest point from where you can clearly focus on the subject, without compromising the quality/sharpness.

Click pictures from this distance, even if it means you end up framing more area than needed. You can always crop out the unwanted details later.In this case, it is always good to crop the image to focus on the area you want. This ensures we do not miss out on those beautiful details and avoid distortion around the edges. 

Here are some examples of close up shots that have been well appreciated on my blog/instagram account along with  the EXIF data:

Shooting Closeups with Standard LensesBlueberries

Camera settings: F 22 | 8” | 50mm | ISO 200 

Shooting Closeups with Standard LensesCherries

Camera setting: F 18 | 2” | 50mm | ISO 100

Shooting Closeups with Standard LensesPopcorn

Camera settings: F 18 | 4” | 50mm | ISO 100

Shooting Closeups with Standard LensesSesame seeds

Camera settings: F 22 | 4” | 50mm | ISO 100 

Editing

One last thing to consider for good closeup pictures is post processing. While editing, do not be afraid to increase the sharpness and clarity just a little bit more. Also sometimes intensifying the shadows makes the image look sharper. So, play with various parameters while editing and see how you can increase the sharpness and intensify the details. And you are all set to create some beautiful closeup pictures!

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You may also find the below :

Behind the Scenes & Styling Tips by Ritumbhara Chinnabalan

 

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Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Almond & Besan Laddoos | Refined Sugarfree | Healthy Recipe

Almond & Besan Laddoos- Refined Sugarfree Healthy Recipe

And Diwali treats continue. In the series of refined sugar free desserts here is one more-Almond & Besan Laddoos. They are made with chickpea flour (besan) and almond flour and loosely inspired by the Gujarati delicacy Magaj Na Laddoo.

Same-Same But Different

Magaj laddoos and these laddoos are similar yet different. Similar because both use besan and almond flour. Different because these laddoos use more ghee and no milk at all. However, if you do decide to use castor sugar then ghee used is reduced as castor sugar also acts as a binder. You would not need to use the two tablespoons in the end. But between sugar and ghee, you know which is a better option 😉

Magaj Na Laddoos & Sweet Memories

Food is delicious more so because of the love associated with it. No matter how average a cook one’s mother is but “Ma ke haath ka chana (food cooked by mum)” is always special. Why else but because of all the love she puts in while she cooks for her child. And I think that is the reason why Magaj Na Laddoos are so special to me. Not because my mum made it. But because my lovely roommate’s mum (back in undergrads) would make it and send along after each summer break.

Every evening after the unpalatable mess (cafeteria) dinner all of us friends would gather in Room 311 (the room I shared with three other girls) and open our snack boxes to share. Each box would hold love from home, some homemade some store bought but packed with utmost love and care by our respective mothers. The best part? Each one of us would rejoice in sharing the goodies and savouring the speciality treats from others’ snack boxes. And Magaj na laddoos from P’s snack box would be claimed almost entirely by me. And also the sukhdi and kopra paak. Have I convinced you enough how big a fan of Gujarati sweets I am?!

Then let us proceed to the recipe of the Almond & Besan Laddoos.

Helpful tips to make Almond-Besan Laddoos

  1. Good quality ghee, especially grass-fed cow’s ghee makes all the difference
  2. Roasting the besan-This requires some elbow grease but not to be cut short. A good 15-20 minutes on a low flame till nutty aroma arises and colour of besan starts to change
  3. Blanched almond flour- Almond flour comes in two varieties- raw and blanched. The latter version is recommended for this recipe. If you are unable to find it in stores then worry not! It can be easily made at home.
  4. I used raw cane sugar in the recipe but you can use any kind of brown sugar but make sure to add sugar into the besan after taking it off heat. You do not want sugar to melt and make the mixture runny and unbindable
  5. Once sugar is added, add approximately 2-3 tbsp of melted ghee. Add one tablespoon, give it a nice mix and then the add the remaining ghee gradually, testing as you go if the mixture binds. Depending on the kind of almond flour you use, you would need anywhere between 2-3 tablespoon ghee. Just enough to bind the laddoos
  6. Make sure to wet your palms with water before you start binding the laddoos. This make the binding process easier and also ensures you do not burn your hands
  7. I garnished with rose petals but you could also use chopped almonds and pistachios to garnish

Ingredients to make Almond-Besan Laddoos

  1. Ghee, melted- 1/2 cup+ 2 tbsp
  2. Besan (chickpea flour)-2 cups
  3. Blanched almond flour- 2 tbsp
  4. Raw Sugar/Brown Sugar- 1/2 cup or as per taste
  5. Cardamom powder, freshly ground- 1 tsp
  6. Slivered almonds- 1 tbsp and some extra for garnish
  7. Chopped raisins- 1 tbsp
  8. Dried rose petals for garnish
  9. One cup water

Method to make Almond-Besan Laddoos

  1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, once the ghee is hot, reduce the flame to low and add besan
  2. On a very low flame with continuous stirring cook the besan till it starts to change colour to a dark muddy yellow and a nutty aroma arises; this will take approximately 20-25 minutes from start to finish
  3. Once besan is well roasted take it off the flame and add almond flour, brown/raw sugar, chopped raisins and slivered almonds and give it a nice mix
  4. Take the mixture back to the flame and add 2 tbsp ghee and mix again and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes
  5. Turn off heat, and let the mixture cool down for 5 minutes, then wet your palms and start to roll the mixture into laddoos/balls of desired size ; be careful to wet your palms well to avoid burning
  6. At this stage if you feel the laddoos are not coming together , add some more ghee and bind
  7. Garnish with slivered almonds or rose petals or both

See video below for a step by step:

Print
Almond & Besan Laddoos- Refined Sugarfree Healthy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 12-14 medium sized laddoos

Ingredients

  • Ghee, melted- 1/2 cup+ 2 tbsp
  • Besan (chickpea flour)-2 cups
  • Blanched almond flour- 2 tbsp
  • Raw Sugar/Brown Sugar- 1/2 cup or as per taste
  • Cardamom powder, freshly ground- 1 tsp
  • Slivered almonds- 1 tbsp and some extra for garnish
  • Chopped raisins- 1 tbsp
  • Dried rose petals for garnish
  • One cup water

Instructions

  1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, once the ghee is hot, reduce the flame to low and add besan
  2. On a very low flame with continuous stirring cook the besan till it starts to change colour to a dark muddy yellow and a nutty aroma arises; this will take approximately 20-25 minutes from start to finish
  3. Once besan is well roasted take it off the flame and add almond flour, brown/raw sugar, chopped raisins and slivered almonds and give it a nice mix
  4. Take the mixture back to the flame and add 2 tbsp ghee and mix again and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes
  5. Turn off heat, and let the mixture cool down for 5 minutes, then wet your palms and start to roll the mixture into laddoos/balls of desired size ; be careful to wet your palms well to avoid burning
  6. At this stage if you feel the laddoos are not coming together, add some more ghee and bind
  7. ogether , add some more ghee and bind
  8. Garnish with slivered almonds or rose petals or both
https://onewholesomemeal.com/almond-besan-laddoos-refined-sugarfree-healthy-recipe/

Almond & Besan Laddoos- Refined Sugarfree Healthy Recipe