When I returned from India last year I gained a couple of pounds. Unlike most other times I gained weight, I did not worry. I read over a dozen diet books and spoke with many people about diet myths. Instead of following some new fad diet, this time I decided to just reduce my food intake, and within a month I was back to my old wight.
My mom is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs only 120 pounds. Throughout her life she maintained a well-toned body without dieting or exercise. People ask her all the time which gym she goes to and she always replies with a smirk and says, “nowhere.” She mostly does household chores and eats healthy. She also has a huge garden that she tends to every day. After coming back I decided to follow her techniques and–believe me–it really worked! I did not starve at all. As you witnessed my gastronomic journey you know that I ate rice pudding, sweet dumplings, dal makhani, kebabs and much more for the entire month.
A message to all beautiful people out there: eat with your mind and eat when you are hungry. Also, you should know by now I do not deep fry often. Most of my foods are baked or prepared with very little oil. It is not that we do not eat out–we eat out once or twice a week but not more than that. If you eat healthy, home-cooked meals every day you can gain control over your weight without starving.
There is one thing I am not doing very well this year. I promised to get myself into some physical activity thrice a week for at least a half hour at a time. I am not doing that very well. Once a week I do a vigorous cleaning, but that is the extent of my exercise. Maybe I should stop snoozing around and get my legs onto the treadmill. I swear I will try my best! 😉
I hope you got my insight behind these heavenly delicious baked fish patties. They are very easy to make and soak up so little oil as they bake. I prefer to eat them at lunch with a plate full of salad. They are very filling and packed with carbs, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. My mum used to make this often when I was growing up. I used to be a monstrous kid who always refused to eat anything that had nutritional value. This is the way she used to inject some nutrition into my little body. She used to pan fry, not bake them and called them ‘fish chops’.
- 1 lb firm fresh fish – cod, swai, rohu, katla are prefferable
- 1 cup or enough water to cover the fish
- salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 medium potato, boiled and peeled
- 1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, mashed
- 1 green chile, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic pods, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/5 cup breadcrumb
1. In a thick bottom pot, add water, salt, turmeric and fish. Boil it until the fish is opaque and flaky. Set it aside in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, mash boiled, peeled potatoes with ginger, green chile, salt, sugar and vinegar.
3. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion pieces and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until they are brown on the edges. Add garlic pieces and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until a garlic aroma is released. Add green pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add boiled fish, mashed potato, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes while stirring continuously.
5. Add chopped mint leaves. Cook for another minute or two. Set it aside in a bowl.
6. Set the oven to 400F.
7. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, take a handful of the mixture and shape into 3/4 inch patties. Continue doing this until you finish the fish mixture. You should be able to make 8 to 10 patties.
8. Break 2 eggs in a bowl and mix 1 tablespoon of water. Beat them well. Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow plate.
9. Dip the patties in the egg and coat with breadcrumbs.
10. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Line them on the sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown. Serve hot with coriander mint chutney.
A beautiful, insightful post full of peaceful, mindful, delightful messages. And your experimental pictures are stunning.
I like you a lot … who wouldn’t? 🙂
Oh Dear! You are just too kind with me. May the peace be with you. Love
Wow, i’m loving this fish patties. Love the clicks too Dolhia
Thanks Jyothi