Green Snowdrop soup

A yummy soup that is pleasing to the palate as well as the stomach. Mother will never complain about this one. This uses greens and egg whites. Nutritious , healthy, chunky and pleasing to the eye. Now that we've listed its virtues lets get down to how easy it is to make.

You need just a cupful of greens you like. Sliced french beans, capsicum, snow peas, spinach, bok choy, spring onions, coriander leaves, celery, cabbage etc. 2 cups chicken / vegetable stock, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp crushed garlic, 1 ts grated ginger , salt, pepper to taste, 1/4 th tsp sugar. 1 egg white. 1 tsp cornflour mixed with water to make a thin paste .

Heat a pan and add 1/4 tsp oil to it. saute the ginger and then add garlic. add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in the greens and the seasonings.Bring to a boil. Beat the egg white and slowly add to the boiling soup. Add in the cornflour paste and stir well. Serve.

Fish cakes

A small portion of Fish, a bit of potato, a bit of stale bread, seasoning , oil. Yummy Fish Cakes. Heres how.

About 100 gms of a boneless fish easily available to you. 1 boiled potato, 2 slices of stale bread, salt -pepper to taste, chopped herbs if available, ( Fish and herbs pairing) . Oil for frying.

Steam and flake the fish, crumble the stale bread or mince it up  finely.Grate the potato, mix well the fish, chopped herbs salt n pepper and leave for a bit. After abt 5 mins add grated potato and tablespoonful of the breadcrumbs . gently mix with a fork, check seasoning. divide and roll into 2 balls, shape into patties and roll in the rest of the breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a shallow pan and fry over medium heat till golden brown on both sides. Alternately brush a non stick pan with a little oil, flatten the patty and cook till light brown on both sides.

The Fish cake can be eaten on its own, or with pasta, noodles, garlic bread. You can put it in side bread along with a salad of choice , and sauces of your choice. 

Once upon a Tyne.

Since I am visiting Newcastle  upon Tyne, UK for a short while, and staying at a student accommodation studio , I'm going to make the most of the situation. Considering I'm on a tight budget in terms of resources but have a wider range of produce to choose from , I should be doing well. And considering the meals put together in the past two day, its a great start. So now here's offering you frugal meals.

Day one was spent in exploring the place, supermarkets and generally figuring out the locations of shops, university etc. Meals were Fish and Chips ( gorgeous cod , battered and served with steamed peas and  chips), Vegetable soup ( terrible. It had lentils veggies, ham, but just not very tasty), vegetarian canneloni with a greens salad , baked potato with spicy chilli . Now finally I am geared with a basic kitchen i.e Amenities: A 2 burner electric hob,  a small microwave/ oven, a small size refrigerator, 4 1/2 feet platform with overhead storage. Some Tupperware : the magic chopper, 2 rock n serve, a 3 pc set of clear n pure bowl, a crystal wave mug, A set of serving and stirring spoons, masala dabba, and small lidded cups and bowls .
Cookware: A prestige pressure cooker, a 5 pc set of Tefal non stick cookware i. a small milk pan, small sauce pan, medium saucepan, small frying pan and a medium frying pan.

Homeware from Argos and Poundland. Groceries from Morrisons, Sainsbury's and I'm set to cook n blog.

Coming up soon. Non Fussy, easy to cook, almost frugal food.

Happy Reading and Bon Appetite.

Tomato Celery Soup

This soup is an excellent example on how to make a simple everyday dish , exciting and fancy.  Its as simple at that, just take a normal tomato soup, add in chopped celery , give it a boil , add a dollop of cream and VOILA! a lovely fresh  exotic soup. 

You have the additional trick of using packaged tomato soup if you don't have the time to make it. But in love the longer process , and if you do too, here it is.

4 firm red tomatoes, 1/2 a potato peeled and diced, 2 inch piece of carrot peeled and diced, 1 small onion chopped,2 cloves garlic chopped, 1 stalk of fresh celery or about 2 heaped tbsp of chopped celery . salt and pepper to taste. Fresh cream to garnish

Cut the tomatoes into half and scoop out the seeds.In a large pot put in the tomatoes, carrot, potato, onion, garlic  and 4 cups of water. Cover and cook till the carrots and potatoes are tender. Cool , blend into a smooth paste and strain. Put the strained soup into another pan , season with salt and pepper and the chopped celery. Cook till it comes to a boil, lower the flame and let simmer for 5 mins. Serve the soup with a dollop of fresh cream.

Garlic bread, soup sticks, croutons or crackers go well with this soup.

Spanish Rice

The kids are amazing in the kitchen . Very often they want to experiment with familiar ingredients , just adding a couple of different flavours or key ingredients to it to give it a different twist. Here is a Spanish rice made by my son. Its light, quick to cook and delightfully tasty. A treat for the eyes as well. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion chopped fine, 2 garlic cloves chopped fine, 1 cup raw rice,1 tomato chopped, 2 cups chicken stock,   2 tbsp grated cheese, 1 tsp finely chopped oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Pick and wash the rice. Drain it for about 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat a pan , lightly fry the onions and garlic till the onions are translucent.Add in the rice and saute till the rice is well coated with the oil. Meanwhile heat the chicken stock.Add to the rice, slowly mixing and stirring it . Add tomatoes, oregano , salt and pepper to the rice. Lower the flame and cover the pan. Cook for 10 mins or till the rice is just done.

To serve, fill the rice in a small bowl. Gently pat down the rice and turn it over into a serving plate. Garnish with grated cheese and serve.

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

I usually love cooking from scratch i.e. using fresh ingredients while cooking , buit there are certain exceptions I make while cooking chinese or thai. Even though i make and store certain chinese and thai sauces/ pastes/ spices, black bean paste is best bought from a speciality store.

This is again another easy to make dish, you can control the gravy this dish has. Without the gravy this can be used as a starter, just make sure to have thin long strip for chicken if you want to serve as a starter. For a gravy cubes work best.

Marinate together 250 gms boneless chicken ( i prefer using the breast side pieces as it is leaner) , 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp cornflour.

1 cup chicken stock, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp black bean sauce, dry red chilies broken into medium size pieces, 1 tsp chopped garlic, salt to taste,

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. add in the red chilli pieces and the garlic.Add the marinated chicken. Toss on a high flame for 2 minutes, then lower the flame and toss for another 5 mins. Add salt, soy sauce, black bean sauce and chicken stock. Adjust seasoning. Mix 2 tsp cornflour to 2 tbsp water.When the mixture boils, add the cornflour water . Mix till the gravy thickens.

Serve with Fried Rice or noodles.

Dragon Chicken.

Do your kids have the instant favourite dish, which is easy to make and whose origins , if traced will be nothing like what you have in hand. We have Dragon Chicken. Its viscious red looking , but sweet and tangy and not spicy hot at all. The red colour is enough to put off any gourmet, but my kids and their friends have a special place in their heart and stomach for Dragon Chicken. So keeping aside my potato "chip on my shoulder" , i get not so busy getting together their favourite dragon chicken. 
Here we go

250 gms boneless chicken cubes, 1 tsp salt , pepper. 2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp soy sauce,1/4 tsp tandoori orange or tomato red colour. Marinate for 10 mins.

In a pan heat 1 tsp oil, add 2 kashmiri red chillies / 4 small round red chillies. add in the chicken and cook on high flame for a minute, reduce heat. Add  1 tbsp each of tomato sauce/ ketchup and tomato puree, salt to taste.Add 1ts cornflour to tbsp water. Add to the chicken and toss till dry. Serve as a starter.

Til Laddoos - Sesame seeds sweet

Small sweet crispy balls of delight. One of the fastest moving sweet in our house. Easy to make , extremely popular. Specially during winter, Til or sesame is a great food for warmth. Its only because of the fact that its rumoured as being difficult to make, people prefer to buy it at sweet shops rather than make it at home. Take it from me , ITS EASY. All it needs is to understand the proportion. The weights given below work very well for me. The laddoos turn out moderately hard , enough to enjoy and not stick to the teeth. Try it this way and I promise you will never buy another til laddoo again. 

Sesame seeds 500 gms, gud or molasses ( normal gud is fine) 350 gms, 1 cup finely chopped nuts of choice ( almonds/ cashewnuts/ pistachio/ peanuts/ roasted gram dal) 2 tblsp raisins. A little ghee to line your palms with. A bowl of water to dip your fingers in and wet your hand.

Before beginning clean , wash  and dry the sesame seeds. They have a lot a grit and  washing the seeds help cleaning them thoroughly. After washing , rub with a dry napkin and spread it out to dry through and through. 

Heat a heavy pan. Roast the sesame seeds lightly for about 5 mins. Take care to not leave the seeds alone, they will start popping all over the place. Once well roasted and pinkish, keep them aside.Lightly roast the dry fruits and add to the sesame seeds.  In the same pan grate the gud , stir and melt the gud. Once melted it will start bubbling and foaming. Keep stirring . A test for to check if the syrup is done right is to let a few drops of the syrup fall into the bowl of water. The syrup will cool and harden. Just pick out the cooled hardened bits and throw them into the water again. If you hear a hard clunk, the syrup is done. Gently add in the sesame seeds and dry fruits. Mix till well coated with the gud syrup.  keep the pan warm and take out half of the mixture on a clean plate. apply ghee on your palms . carefully pick up about a spoonful of mixture at a time and roll into balls. repeat with the remaining mixture till it is all used up. Incase the mixture starts hardening up, just heat it for a minute and start rolling into laddoos.

Store in a dry airtight container. These keep well for atleast 2 weeks, or maybe longer. I have had no occasion to find out exactly how long these keep. I have difficulty holding onto them for more than 2 days .

These laddoos are made specifically on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, the 14 of January. 

Vaangi Batata

Brinjals are not really a focal point of any conversations. Yet people have extreme reactions when the topic comes up. They either love it or hate it , no in betweens.My family does that though. They will readily eat them , but not ask for them or refuse them . As for me I love brinjals in all forms. Be it the typically Maharashtrian style spicy stuffed Brinjals or the North Indian mashed chunky Brinjal Bharta or the Middle Eastern Moutabal or Turkish Imam Bayildi






 4 medium sized brinjals, washed . Slit them from the bottom 3/4 upwards into 4 attached segments. 4 medium sized potatoes, washed peeled and slit from the bottom 3/4 upwards into 4 attached segments. Mix the stuffing ingredients well. Stuff the mixture into the brinjals and potaoes. Take care to not force too much stuffing or the segments may break off. Keep aside the extra stuffing if any.

Stuffing:
 2 tbsp grated dry coconut, 1/4 cup besan/ gram flour roasted ,2 tsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp dhania ( coriander powder , 1 tbsp jeera ( cumin) powder , 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp tamarind paste or aamchur ( dry mango) powder, 1 tbsp gud (jaggery), finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste ( optional) , 1 tsp garam masala powder ,salt to taste.1 tsp oil to bind the stuffing. 

Tempering:
 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp rai/ sarson (mustard) seeds , 5-6 curry leaves.


Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds. When they pop add curry leaves. Add the stuffed brinjals and potaoes. Mix lightly , cover and cook for abt 10 mins on a slow flame. This will help the stuffing coagulate and stick to the vegetables. Lightly sprinkle the leftover stuffing over the vegetables , again cover and cook on slow flame till welldone , but dont let the brianjals get mushy. 

Serve with whole wheat roti, jowar ( sorghum) or bajra ( pearl millet) or nachani ( finger millet) rotis.

Seafood Feast

This Seafood fest was served up by my mom. Mom often travels and is gone for days on end. The day she has to leave , she bangs out a next to debauched meal. This meal has starting at 12 o clock position , Goan prawns curry, roti, steamed rice, fried fish , crab masala , shellfish and in the centre solachi kadhi or Kokum kadhi . This kadhi is a beverage which is served before a meal as an apertif, during a meal or after a meal as a digestive. Its coconut milk based , is slightly tart and salty. sometimes tempered with garlic, curry leaves or jeera. It forms a integral part of a goan meal.

If you notice the absence of a green vegetable in this meal , its because most goans ( non vegetarians) , are just not very fond of vegetables. I remember as a kid, we would be invited to friends and relatives for lunch and dinner on our holiday visits to my mothers village in Goa. Every meal ( a variety of fish dishes, curries, dry masala concoctions, fried fish and prawns and sometimes even chicken curries) would have a lone misfit looking serving of long green beans . It is cooked in the "upkari " style i.e. without turmeric or dry masalas, just tempered with a green chilli and garnished with fresh coconut. To me it was the most unappetizing vegetable. After a few days I noticed, every person leaving the vegetable on the plate. It was clearly cooked only to add a green vegetable option for the guests and neither hosts nor guests were interested in it.

So that explains why there is no green vegetable in the seafood fest. 

Khichadi - Methi

A Khichadi is a lightly seasoned soft blend of rice and lentils or pulses cooked together and tempered.This particular version of a khichadi was a favourite at my mothers house. As a growing girl I learnt the nutritious value of using sprouted methi seeds while cooking. This khichadi was specially served to pregnant or lactating mothers


1 cup rice , 1/4 cup sprouted methi ( fenugreek) seeds , 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp jeera seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 bay leaf, 1 medium size piece of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, salt to taste,
For the tempering 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp red chilli powder.

Heat a pressure cooker or heavy bottomed pot. add in ghee . When the ghee is hot enough add in whole spices like jeera, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, crush the cardamom and add it to the ghee as well. drain the rice and add to the ghee. On a slow flame roast the rice , when well coated in the ghee add the methi seeds . Add in hot water . Proportion is 2 cups water to 1 cup rice . Add salt to taste, cover and cook. ( If using a pressure cooker 2 whistles are enough) .

Before serving, heat 1 tbsp ghee . take off heat and add 1 tsp red chilli powder. Pour over the khichadi. Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves.

Khichadi - Sprouts

Khichadi is usually meant to be a dish for invalids. A lightly cooked meal of rice and lentils with just a touch of salt and a drop of ghee. Its nutritious , filling and easy to digest. However Khichadi is a staple on Sundays at my dining table. I need think up variations to keep them interested in this simple yet nutritious one dish meal. Khichadi typically is a combination of rice and lentils , mostly moong dal( spilt mung beans) . However I have expereimented with mixed lentils, spinach and cheese, sprouted pulses and even fenugreek seeds.
This is one with sprouts and mung beans.

The general proportion I use is 1 cup of  rice to 1/2 cup of  dals/ lentils or sprouts. So the ingredients for 4 servings would be  1 cup rice , 1/2 cup dal , 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp jeera seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 bay leaf, 1 medium size piece of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, salt to taste,
For the tempering 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp red chilli powder.

Heat a pressure cooker or heavy bottomed pot. add in ghee . When the ghee is hot enough add in whole spices like jeera, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, crush the cardamom and add it to the ghee as well. drain the rice and add to the ghee. On a slow flame roast the rice , when well coated in the ghee add the dals. ( If using sprouted pulses do not add them yet. Add in hot water . Proportion is 3 cups water to 1 cup rice . If you like the khichadi a bit mushy, add about 4 cups. Add salt to taste, cover and cook. ( If using a pressure cooker 2 whistles are enough) .If using sprouts, add them after about 5 mins of cooking with the lid on. Mix well , taste salt and cook till well done.

Just before serving, heat the extra 1 tbsp ghee take off the flame. Add in the chili powder . Pour over the khichadi and serve hot. Khichadi can be served with a variety of accompaniments like kadhi , dahi, salads, pickles, papadams , stuffed chillies , raita , green coriander chutney , garlic onion chilli chutney , garlic chutney 

Vegetable Raita

A raita is a side dish , which adds a festive look to an every day meal. Raitas are basically youghurt based salads. They can be made with chopped raw salad vegetables, chopped fresh mint or spinach or coarsely crushed jeera, pepprcorns,  grated beetroots, or radish, chopped and seasoned bananas , potatoes, or the crisp friend boondi.

Easy to make in steps 1-3 it a great accompaniments to one dish meals like khichadi, pulaos, biryani or parathas.

1 cup dahi ( youghurt) , finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, 1 finely chopped green chilli. a sprig of coriander finely chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. pinch of sugar. Optional 1 tbsp of crushed roasted peanuts.

Mix the seasonings into the yoghurt. Fold in the vegetables. Chill and serve.

Sushi

Sushi brings to mind at one the words exotic and complicated. One it is and the other it is not. Yes sushi is definitely an exotic snack, but complicated it is certainly not. There a few basic things take care of while making sushi. Fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked and seasoned rice, and a firm hand to roll the sushi.

Here is a step by step guide to making and rolling sushi. To start with the ingredients

 Nori seaweed sheets, fresh cucumbers, carrots, avocado, smoked salmon, crabmeat, boiled chicken, boiled prawns, Short gained rice, rice vinegar, castor sugar,

1 cup of cooked short grained rice is enough for 2 Nori sheets. Per cup cooked rice add 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp castor sugar. The rest is all your imagination.

1. Seaweed . A sheet of seaweed which is dull and matte looking on one side and shiny on the other side. Lightly toast the seaweed sheet on the shiny side. Make sure to toast it on a girdle heating on a low flame

2. Rice: Boil shortgrain rice till tender but not mushy. Drain and place in a shallow tray , add sugar and vinegar and lightly toss around till well mixed and cool.

3. Vegetables / fish/ chicken/ tofu : Finely chop vegetables into julienne , fish into very thin slices, chicken/ tofu / paneer into thick julienne.

Lay the toasted seaweed onto a sushi mat . Lay it toward the lower middle part of the mat. Wet your hand and take a handful of cooked rice. Flatten it onto the seaweed sheet to cover 2/3rd of the seaweed. 

Place the vegetables or chicken/ fish/ prawn or your filling of choice at the bottom of the rice layer.

Starting at the extreme end where the filling is placed , start rolling the seaweed upward. Make sure the filling, rice and seaweed is firmly secured. 

As the first layer is rolled in , let go of the mat and continue rolling till the end of the seaweed sheet. Wet the edge of the seaweed and roll it up all the way.

Using a sharp knife and after dipping it in hot water and slice the sushi. 

Serve the sushi rolls in a platter with a few shreds of pickled ginger , a small ball of wasabi paste and a small dipping bowl with about a tblsp of light soy sauce. The way to eat it is to dissolve a little bit of wasabi in the soy sauce . Pick a piece of sushi, dip it in the soy sauce and eat it . The wasabi paste is extremely hot, so be careful as to how much you dissolve into the soy sauce. The pickled ginger is to be eaten in between sushi pieces to cleanse the palate.

Shepherd's Pie - Traditional British Cooking

There are many quintessential British meals that find their way to my table. Fish and Chips , Roast Chicken, Bangers and Mash, Bubble and Squeak and a full fledged English Breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, beans, mushrooms, potatoes and on a day when the fridge is almost empty, a Ploughman's Lunch of a chunk of cheese, pickled gherkins and bread. Its great fun to put together a traditional meal. I enjoy serving up such traditional meals then whether they are Indian , oriental or continental. I am going to attempt to recreate them here as a series.
Starting with Shepherds Pie : Its typically a pie made with leftover meat covered with mashed potato. I make a slightly different version of this usually bland pie.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp Olive Oil, minced lamb or mutton about 500 gms, 1 large onion finely chopped , 1 large carrot chopped fine, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary ( you can use dry herbs if fresh ones are not available) garlic chopped fine, salt, pepper and  a teaspoonful of red chili powder ( yes it has a bite), 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce , 3 tbsp tomato puree, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 cup chicken stock.
For the Mashed Potatoes: 4 large potatoes boiled till very soft , 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup milk, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese , salt and pepper to taste. 1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle on the top.

Heat oil, add in the mince and fry uniformly till well browned, add in finely chopped carrots, onions and garlic. Further cook it till dry, add the seasonings salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, red chilli powder, then add in the tomato puree and mix well. Pour in the red wine , cook , add chicken stock , cover and cook till the mince is well done. Dry it till it can be collected in a lump. Keep warm

Mash the boiled potatoes. Add butter, milk , salt , pepper  and cheese and whip well.

In a oven proof deep dish pile in the mince and flatten . Top with a generous layer of mashed potatoes , flatten and score with a fork. ( You can also put in some mashed potatoes in a piping bag and decorate the pie with it). Drizzle some olive oil over it and cook in a hot oven ( approx 180 deg Celsius) for 15-20 mins. Cut into wedges and Serve with a fresh garden salad.

Dal Panchmel

This is a dal served on festive occasions. I belong to a vaishnav family , hence onions and garlic are not used in traditional cooking. Its difficult to stick to the no onions and garlic rule and yet turn out interesting dishes which are not too rich. This dal can be served with plain rice, pulao or rotis/ parathas. As a snack , this dal can be served with thin crisp poories and chutney.

2 tblsp each of  toor dal ( pigeon lentils), channa dal ( split chick peas), moong dal ( split mung ), udad dal ( black lentils with the skin) and masoor dal ( split red lentils). 2 dry red chillies broken into 3 pcs each, ginger - grated 1 tbsp, julienned 2 tbsp, 2 bay leaves, 1" X 2 pcs of cinnamon, 6 green cardamoms , 6 black peppercorns, 6 cloves,1 tsp jeera ( cumin)  2 tblsp ghee , 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric,chopped green coriander ( cilantro) for garnishing. salt to taste. Optional additional garnish- 1 tsp ghee heated with 1 tsp red chilli powder.

Clean and soak the dals for atleast 4 hours. Boil the dals with salt, ginger and turmeric. Mash the dals well , but take care not to puree it. Heat the ghee and fry the ginger juliennes till light golden brown. Keep aside. Now in the hot ghee add in the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns and dry red chillies. Add in the jeera. add in the mashed dal and 1 cup water. Season with salt as required. Boil the dal on a slow flame for 10 mins. add in garam masala powder and mix well. Garnish with chopped green cilantro . You can pour the ghee- red chilli powder mix on if you like a spicy dish.

Goan Fried Fish

5-6 slices of Surmai ( king fish)/ pomfret/ black pomfret/ mackerel , 6-8 tbsp fine Sooji or Rice flour, 1 tsp red  chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp tamarind pulp, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste,salt .Oil for frying.

Wash and clean fish. Mix well with the turmeric, chilli powder, tamarind pulp, ginger garlic paste and salt. Marinate for 30 mins minimum.
Take sooji in a plate. place the marinated fish in the sooji and liberally coat the pieces on both sides.
Heat a shallow frying pan or gridle ( tawa)  add oil in it. Keep on low heat. Place the fish slice in the frying pan. Follow the above steps for remaining pieces till there is place on the tava. There should be place to turn the slices while frying.
Fry on each side on a slow flame. Ensure that the crust is crisp.

Best served with Daali Thoy , Kokam kadi – rice , curd – rice.

Carrot Soup

Hearty Soups are my favourite family meal quick fix. A fresh flavoursome filling soup with a fresh salad and garlic bread , ready in a snap and light.

I first had this soup at a small bistro adjacent to the Harlech Castle , Harlech, Wales. It was a cold windy day and we had just exhausted ourselves climbing up the steep steps to the top of the castle and back. After the exhilarating views , we were ready for a hot meal. This soup was among the other fabulous hot dishes we had. Fish and Chips, chicken and ham pie, steak and mince pie, a heart heavy meal topped off with ice cream.

Try this soup, its easy to make and delicious.

2 large carrots, washed , peeled and finely minced. 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 flakes garlic crushed, 2 stock cubes , salt and pepper to taste. 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1/4th cup water. 1 tbsp olive oil.

saute the onion till soft and golden brown, add in the garlic, carrots and saute. Cover and cook till soft.Lightly mash the carrots and onions mixture Add in the stock cubes, 4 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.blend the cooked rice with half cup water, to make a coarse paste. add to the soup. Add the corn starch paste. Stir till soup bubbles.

Serve with a garden fresh salad and garlic bread.

Goa unleashes visions of long stretches of beaches, lashing waves , beachside cafes, fish, feni and flea markets. To me Goa brings back memories of a quaint country style house built of  porous looking sand stones. Warm breezy nights, sunny carefree days spent swimming in the sea or wading through brooks. Gorging on freshly plucked mangoes , jackfruits and ofcourse the countless seafood meals. The fish found in my mothers native village , Morjim , was  Bangda ( Mackerel), Karli ( silver bar fish) , Rawas ( Indian Salmon), Halwa (  Black Pomfret) and of course shell fish and Sungta (PRAWNS) . Prawns of all sizes from the very fine Jawala ( tiny shrimp) to  the medium size prawns. Every size with its own special recipe. Here is the one we love the most . This one though can be made with prawns any size. Its quick n easy.

250 gms peeled and de veined prawns, 2 onions chopped fine, 2 tomaotes chopped fine, 1 tsp each of chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic, 2 tblsp of chopped green coriander, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric , 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tblsp oil.Salt to taste.

Heat oil , when hot put in the mustard seeds. After the stop sputtering add onions and cover n cook till soft. Add chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute add in tomaotes and the chilli, turmeric and garam masal powders. Add salt and fry till the masal leaves oil. Add the prawns and 1/2 cup water. cover n cook for 5 minutes. The prawns should be opaque and just cooked. Stir till the water evaporates and you get a thick consistency. Add chopped green coriander and mix well. Serve with hot rotis.

Other recipes for prawns Dried Shrimp Kismur , Goan Prawn Curry  

Country Style Chicken Casserole

Every once in a while we yearn for a special meal at the end of a hard day. A busy schedule , hectic travelling, traffic sap us of all enthusiasm needed to put together such a meal. So here is a special meal , which cooks itself while you take time off to shower, change, unwind and literally put your feet up.

You need 250 gms chicken ( boneless breast pieces) cut into bite size pieces,1 cup chicken stock, 1 carrot sliced thickly, french beans roughly broken into 1 inch pieces, 1 onion sliced, 6 mushrooms cut into half, capsicum pieces, 1/2 cup tomato puree, 1 tblsp chopped garlic,2 tblsp red wine, 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste, flour 2 tblsp , oil, parsley / coriander leaves to garnish.

Wash and pat dry the chicken . season the flour with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken pieces in this flour . Heat oil and quickly fry the chicken pieces , remove and keep warm. In about 2 tblsp oil fry the remaining seasoned flour and garlic. Mix the worcestershire sauce, wine and chicken stock. Slowly stir this into the flour till all the liquid is well incorporated into the flour. Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper.Now add in the chicken, vegetables and onion. Check seasonings and transfer into a oven proof dish. Put it into the oven for 1 hour at 160 degrees.

Serve with grilled cheese toast / garlic bread/ rice. A coleslaw made with finely sliced carrots/ cabbage/ lettuce/ cucumbers/ capsicum and a mayo dressing.

Celery Soup

Celery. Its an excellent source of Vitamin C , folic acid, potassium, vitamins and fibre,  but most important , everyone loves the tangy fresh taste of celery. Here is a quick and easy way to serve celery.

A bunch of celery ,  use only the leaves and the top stem which is still delicate. Finely chop the leaves and stalks. 1 onion finely chopped, 5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped, 1 tblsp flour , 1/4 cup milk , 1 tblsp oilve oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil, saute the onion till light brown and translucent, saute garlic. Add in the celery , cover and cook. Cool and blend in a mixer and return to the pan. Blend the flour with the milk , add 1 cup of water.  lower the flame and add the flour, milk and water . Stir continuously till it thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or with a hearty  pasta salad.

Fish Cutlets - Mackarel

Mackarel is a part of the oily fish family. A rich source of Omega 3 oil. Often looked down by the new fish eaters, Mackarel or Bangda as it is popularly known is actually amongst the most nutritious fishes. Its my personal favourite and a mackarel curry with unpolished rice is a meal a goans dreams are made of :) .
Here is a fancy starter that is nutritious, filling and a change from the usual fish tikkas. This cutlet or kabab is made with Mackarel , but one can use any other fish with lesser bones or with fillets of white fish. However this is by far tastier. Here goes

4 whole Mackarel ( Bangda) , steamed, de boned and flaked. 1 large onion chopped  and sauted till light brown, 1 green chilli finely chopped, a few sprigs of coriander  finely chopped, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste,  2 slices of bread , soaked , squeezed and crumbled, 1/4 tsp each of  red chilli powder and  garam masala . 1/2 a lime , salt to taste.1 egg white

Mix together the fish flakes, sauteed onions, chillies, coriander,ginger garlic paste ,  salt, spices, and lemon juice. Mix in the bread crumble and egg white. Mix well , but lightly with a fork. Divide the mixture into small balls and flatten lightly. Grease a non stick pan and place the cutlets/ kababs on it. Fry on each side till golden or dark brown.
Serve with a mint or coriander chutney .

You can make a meal out of it by serving it with fried potato wedges , salad and garlic bread.

Khotte

There was no dearth of exotic foods in our kitchen. Having a large internationally integrated family meant there was always something new and unusual from someones kitchen that found its way to our dining table. Dads closest friends were konkanis. Khotte or idlis steamed in triangular moulds made from jack fruit leaves and twigs were not only exotic but delicious. Just looking at those huge steamed leafy moulds made my dad go weak in the knees. Accompanied by a spicy runny corriander and coconut chutney it was a meal fit for a king. On special occasions it was served with a spicy coconut based fish curry. A treat for the eyes, a feast for the palate and nirvana for the soul.

The khotte are basically made with regular idli batter. Once can use the normal store bought batter as well to make the khotte. For the procedure to make the jack fruit moulds, here is a fantastic site where it has been explained with pictures.

http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/10/25/idlis-in-jackfruit-leaveshittukhottekhotte-kadubu/

Chirote

Every now and then one remembers a forgotten flavour of our childhood. Something sweet , a unique flavour or a texture that got us all excited. One of the things i often remember is chirote. A flaky fried snack liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar, eaten while it was still warm. Aaaaah those crispy , flaky, sweet bites of heaven. Thankfully its easy to recreate the crispy flaky wheels in no time and I am able to walk down that nostalgic lane as often as I like.
Sharing the simple procedure . Try it and let me know what you think.

1 cup maida, 8 tblsp pure desi ghee , 1/4 cup warm milk, 2 tblsp rice flour, powdered sugar to sprinkle on the chirote as per taste.

melt about 4 tblsp of the ghee. Mix well into the flour . Knead the flour into a soft dough using the warm milk.Cover and set aside for about half an hour. Divide the flour into 6 equal parts. Roll out each of these parts into a thin flat pancake. Whisk together the remaining ghee and the rice flour till you get a creamy paste. Now place a pancake down on a floured surface and spead 1/5 of the creamy rice flour - ghee paste over it. Sprinkle with some dry flour over it , then place another pancake over it and repeat the flour paste layering and dry flour sprinkling till the last pancake is placed on top. Now starting from the side closest to you , roll the entire pile into a tight roll . Do this lightly so that the layers are not pressed hard into each other. Cut into about 16-20 discs. Lightly roll each disk and fry in medium hot oil. Take care to maintain the creamy colour of the chirote. Drain on absorbent paper and quickly sprinkle them with powdered sugar before they cool down.

These keep well for a week . Mine dont :( . They are over within the hour.