Golden Fried Prawns

250 gms prawns ( the larger the better), 6 tbsps flour, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp baking powder , ½ cup water

In a bowl mix flour , baking powder and salt. Gradually mix in the water . The mixture should be of a thick flowing consistency. Mix the prawns in the batter and leave it for 1 hour. Deep fry in hot oil  over medium heat., till they are light brown in colour or till crisp. Serve with chilli sauce.

The same batter can be used for prawns, crab, lobsters, boneless fish. or if vegetarian for Paneer, Turai (Zuccini)  or brinjals (aubergine) .

Vatana Ussal

2 cups green peas, 1 tbsp oil, 2 green chillies, ½ inch ginger chopped finely, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, 2 tbsp chopped green coriander leaves.1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds crushed or ¼ tsp mustard paste.2 tbsp grated/ dessicated coconut.

Heat oil, when hot add mustard seeds, asafoetida, green chillies, and ginger. Add in peas and ¼ cup water.Mix well , add salt to taste , cover and cook till peas are tender. Add mustard paste/ seeds and stri till the liquid dries completely. Garnish with green coriander and coconut.

Kelphoolachi Bhaji

This is one vegetable, I could never bear the smell of. It is sickly sweet and all pervading. Yet this preparation is one of my favourite exotic things to eat.My mother turns this ugly looking, smelly flower of the banana trees , into one delectable morsel. Kelphool, or Banana Blossom is actually many bunches of flowering bananas. These bunches, hidden inside layers of thick brown leaves grow to become the bananas we eat. The Banana Flower or blossom is found at the bottom of a clump of several bunches of bananas. It is a special treat in kitchen southwards of  and around Maharashtra. It is cumbersome to clean and prepare this vegetable and a huge looking blossom usually yeilds a small amount of useable vegetable. Yet it is worth the trouble ( In my case ,since someone else takes it :) )
Here is my mothers special recipe.

1 banana flower
1 cup black vatana , soaked over night
3 tblsp oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
a generous pinch of asafoetida
8-10 garlic smashed but not broken
1 large onion chopped fine
1/2 tsp each of turmeric powder, red chilli powder
1 tsp each of coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder
1 small lump of jaggery , size of a large marble
salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh dessicated jaggery


Pull apart the leaves and remove the small thin pods , Remove the  long stem and thin membrane , wash the pods and chop them fine .  Soak it in a mixture of 1 cup water and 1 cup buttermilk, overnight. At the same time soak 1 cup black mattar ( kala vatana). Next morning
Drain the vegetable and cook under pressure for 3 whistles. Cook the black mattar under pressure for 3 whistles.In a pan heat oil, add mustard and asfoetida. take the garlic and fry them till brown. remove, saute  onion till brown, add the cooked black mattar, garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and jaggery, then the cooked vegetable. stir well then cover and cook for 5 mins.Once the vegetable is dry,add dessicated fresh coconut and serve.

Best served with Roti, Phulkas or with Dal Rice.

Kobichi Bhaji - Cabbage Chana Dal vegetable

Cabbage is amongst my favourite vegetables.I love it in salads, snacks, pakodas, parathas, a semi cooked vegetable called sambharo ( gujarati style) and in vegetables like an Upkari ( konkani style: see my earlier post). I like combining it with potatoes, peas, capsicum, channa dal or sometimes as a vegetable kheema. I can eat cabbage anyday.

This one is a simple everyday preparation with least amount of oil or spices.
2 cups shredded cabbage,
2 green chillies- slit,
6 curry leaves,
2 tsp oil, 
1/4 cup channa dal soaked, ( optional)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds,
1/4 tsp turmeric,
1/2 tsp coriander powder,
chopped green coriander to garnish.
Fresh dessicated coconut to garnish

Heat oil , add mustard, chillies, curry leaves.Add dal and roast till pink.add 1/4 cup water , cover and cook till dal is almost cooked.dry out the water is any and add the cabbage. Mix well , add turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. cook for 2 mins . The cabbage should be just done and not too limp. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh coconut and serve with rotis.

Upkari

Upkari is a simple non fussy vegetable side dish found at every konkani meal. Its easy to make and goes well with plain rice daal , or even fish curry.As kids we visited Goa very often.When I say 'very often' I mean at any and almost every vacation. Infact even on a long weekend , mum would grab us and make a dash to Goa, her native place. Between loong morning swims on the beach and splashing around in the stream in the afternoons, there would be a meal of fish curry rice and sol kadhi ( kokum kadhi). After that would be a loong snooze for mum ( back into the water for us ). While we Mumbai kids were used to rotis, mum hated the very thought of them, specially the gujju in my dad insisted on tiny phulkas and she'd have to make a heap of them. Sorry , but i digress. Now every place we were invited to for lunch/ dinner in Goa, a constant was the upkari. And most often than not it was the alsande ( chawli/ yard long beans) upkari. I came to completely hate the sight of it. The funny part was neither guests nor hosts ate it, or so my child sense figured. After marriage though , I craved for the same ..... Well i finally managed to start cooking it. Upkari is made with a variety of green beans and even gourds. This one uses french beans.

1/4 kg Beans , 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of sugar, 2 green chillies slit, 4-5 curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of turmeric, salt to taste, 2 tbsp dessicated/ grated fresh coconut.

Wash and wipe the beans dry. Cut off the two ends, slice thickly. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies. Add the beans, salt, sugar and turmeric, sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook on a slow flame. Take off the heat, add coconut and serve with hot Rotis.

Dried Shrimp Kismur

A delectable Goan delicacy, Kismur is practically a salad. Vegetarians can substitute the dried shrimp with roasted red chilli papads , crushed. A brilliant side dish with hot phulkas.

1 cup dried shrimp, 4 tbsp dessicated coconut, 1 chopped white onion, 1 chopped green chilli, 1 tsp tamarind, 1/2 tsp salt.
mix the tamarind paste with a little water. Mix with the onions, coconut and salt.
Dry roast the dried shrimp on a low heat, stirring every few seconds so as to not burn them.
Mix the shrimp with the coconut-onion mixture. Enjoy the kismur with rotis. Another spicier option is to temper the kismur . Heat a tsp oil , add mustard seeds. When they splutter add the onion and red chilli powder. take off heat immediately , add coconut, tamarind paste, salt and shrimps. You can substitute the shrimp with dry roasted , crumbled mackerel, bombay duck or prawns. Vegetarians try the spicy red chilli papad , roasted & crushed.

Upma

Mamma's recipes. Traditional breakfasts, fussy lunches, favourite side dishes, here are some of my favourite things.......to eat OFCOURSE!

UPMA

A traditional breakfast dish found in households in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa.

1 cup semolina ( sooji), 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp ghee, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai), urad daal, pinch of asafoetida, salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar, 2 dry red chillies,1 green chilli slit, 5-6 curry leaves, 1 tsp grated ginger ( optional),1/2 cup thick curds, cashews broken, dessicated / shredded fresh coconut, corriander leaves .




Heat oil in a heavy bottom wok / kadhai. When the oil is hot add urad dal, mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves, cashews. Fry till cashews turn a pink colour.

Remove and keep aside. In the hot oil add red and green chillies, grated ginger and sooji. Roast on a slow flame till the sooji turns a light pinkish brown.
Meanwhile boil 1 1/2 cups water.Gently add the hot water to the roasted sooji. add the whipped curds, salt, sugar. Stir , cover and cook on a low flame.Stir in the ghee.

Garnish with corriander & fresh coconut. Add fried cashews and serve.