Well...
We have been missing. Its been 18 months since we had any update on the blog. Been extremely busy to put it in simple words. Ever since we moved back to India, time has been a premium. Having said that, we will try to update whenever possible, either with the food we have cooked or anything of interest. There is a lot to share but for now its just the simple quintessential goan sausage pao made with our own homemade goan pork sausages.

Special Sunday Lunch - Simple Mutton Curry and Zaafraani Pulao

What’s your Sunday Lunch?

When we were kids, Sunday would be an important day. Going to church first with our parents and siblings with our best clothes and then our folks would go to the market to get the best meat or fish to cook for our Sunday Lunch. Pork was always the main item on the menu and we would have either a sorpotel or vindaloo or pork or beef roast.

Mutton being the most expensive meat was purchased on few occasions. I was not very fond of mutton as pork was always my favourite meat. However, it was very delectable as it had its own distinct taste and flavour. Biryani was and still is my favourite (mutton) but one of my favourite curries was one without any garam masalas and dry ground spices. I would always like the curry prepared by my mom which was with nicely browned onions, ginger garlic chilles and other wonderful herbs. This would bring out the flavours of the mutton rather than what the dry ground spices do, i.e. suppress the flavours and make it spicy masaledar and which I rarely indulge.

Sari has mastered the preparation of this dish and this preparation was again lip smacking and delicious. The last time I got some wonderful cuts of mutton with nalli (leg bone marrow) that had the creamy buttery marrow oozing out and the dish turned out fantastic. She also made a Saffron infused Pulao which was superb and went so well with the mutton gravy. Another yummilicious preparation.

Simple Mutton Curry

 Ingredients

1 kg mutton  medium size pcs (washed)

3 med tomatoes finely chopped

3 big onions finely chopped

2 inch pc of ginger finely chopped

7 to 8 big flakes of garlic  finely chopped

3 green chillies  slit in the center

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ bunch of  coriander leaves washed & finely chopped

¼ bunch of  mint leaves washed and finely chopped

¼ cup of oil

Salt to taste

Method

In a pressure pan add the washed meat with salt, 2 cups of water and cook till tender.

In a pan take oil and heat it on high flame, add chopped onions and fry  till it turns light golden brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the oil comes to the surface.. add the chopped ginger and garlic fry well. 

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, Stir well.

Add the boiled meat with water stir and let it cook on high flame till it boils vigorously.

Add green chillies, chopped coriander and  mint leaves, reduce the flame.

Cook on slow flame with closed lid for 20 minutes.

Adjust salt if required, Enjoy with Zaafrani Pulao…

Zaafrani  Pulao ( Saffron Rice)

Ingredients

4 cups of India Gate Basmati rice (wash it 3 to 4 times and soak it in water for 1 hour)

4 maggi cubes  (chicken or  vegetable) (there are 2 cubes in a box)

6 tbsp pure amul ghee

½ tsp saffron (zaafraan)

6 cups of boiled water

2 medium onions thinly sliced

Method

In a big handi take ghee, once the ghee is hot add the onion and fry till it’s lightly browned,

Add 6 cups of boiled water, add the cubes,rice and saffron. Let it boil for 5 minutes.

Mix it well, close the handi with foil.. close the lid tightly over the foil.

Let the rice cook on very very slow flame for 15 minutes. Put off the flame.

Open the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and close the lid and let it cook for  another 5 minutes in its own steam.

Voila zaafraani pulao is ready to be served with lip smacking mutton curry.

Enjoy…..Leave  in your comments if your family really enjoyed this yummy mutton curry and zaafrani  pulao

Shrimps Chilly Fry (Maharashtrian Style)

Ingredients

500 gms Small shrimps  (clean devein & wash)

3 big onions  (chopped  big cubes)

1 big tomato (chopped)

1 big capsicum (chopped big cubes)

 2 inch ginger chopped finely

6 big garlic flakes chopped roughly

1 ½ tsp east Indian bottle masala 

1 ½ tsp Maharastrian Goda masala

½ tsp turmeric powder

¾ tsp salt

2 tsp white vinegar

4 tbsp Oil

1/4 cup water

In a big frying pan on medium flame add oil…once the oil is hot add chopped onions….fry till translucent.

Add chopped ginger and garlic fry for another minute.

Add chopped tomatoes fry till the tomatoes are well incorporated with the onion mixture on high flame.

Add the dry  masala, fry till you get nice aroma for a minute.

Add ¼ cup water and fry till the water evaporates. (water is added so the dry masala dosen't burn)

Add vinegar, salt to taste, shrimps and capsicum. Mix, close the lid and cook for 2 minutes on slow flame. Do not overcook the shrimps as you want them to be sweet and juicy.

Voila shrimps chilly fry is ready to be served with chapatti or rice bhaakri (rice hand bread)………..YUMMILICIOUS… J J

Banana Chocolatechips Streusel Cake

Ingredients:

• 190 gms  flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 75 gms unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 100 gms granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 large bananas mashed
• 60 gms yogurt

StREUSEL

• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 50 gms dark brown sugar
• 135 gms semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 70 gms  chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 8x8 baking pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add egg beat it lightly.  Add vanilla extract, mix well. Add the mashed banana and yogurt and turn the mixer on high and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.  Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until combined. Do not overmix.
4. Make the streusel by combining all of the streusel ingredients into a small bowl. Layer half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with half of the streusel. Repeat with the rest of the batter and streusel. Bake for 55-60 minutes. 
5. Allow to  cool for 10 -15 minutes before serving. 

Crunchy Spicy Noodles Bhajiyas

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Gram flour
1 packet boiled noodles (don’t over boil..keep it firm)
1 carrot peeled and finely shredded 
½ cup finely chopped cabbage
3 green chillies finely chopped (reduce if you don’t like it spicy)
1 inch piece thinly chopped Ginger
2 tbsp finely chopped Green coriander
Salt to taste
½ tsp red chilly powder
Oil for frying

METHOD

Boil the noodles as per instructions on the packet.  Do not over boil…keep it firm. Strain , wash the noodles with cold water so the cooking process stops. Excess starch will also be removed. Strain..Now cut the noodles with the scissors roughly and keep it aside.

In a deep bowl add the shredded veggies, chopped chillies, coriander, ginger.

Add salt, turmeric and chilly powder.

Add in the gram flour and squeeze the veggies and  gram flour  with your hands as the water from the veggies will come out

Add 2tbsp water and mix well with your hands to form a thick batter. Batter should be smooth without any lumps.  

Add the noodles in the batter. Mix it lightly.

Heat oil in a pan on high flame.. Lower the flame to medium.

Take a tbsp full of mixture; drop it slowly in the hot oil. Fry 4 to 5 bhajiyas at a time. Do not over crowd the pan.

Deep fry till its light golden brown, flip and fry on the other side. Remove and leave it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Enjoy the crispy, spicy noodles bhajiya with green chutney or ketchup.

Leave a comment, would love to hear from you how you enjoyed making and eating these yummy crispy Bhajiyas.     

Canara Restaurant, Dubai, UAE- for Awesome Mangalorean Food

A lot was told to me about this Manglorean rather Canara restaurant and highly recommended too. During my trip to Dubai and on the last day out, a dozen of us made it for lunch. Some of our friends were already seated prior to our arrival but let me assure you that you will have to wait some time as the place was full and noisy with Manglorean and Goan diners. Lot of clattering of dishes going on with people jabbering away to glory. This is simple place with no décor to boast off but the food makes up for everything you don’t need.

Food was already ordered and for starters there were the Crispy Rawa fried Kaane / Mudoshiyo or Lady Fish, some rawa fried prawns, Kubey Mutli which is a Manglorean speciality. The sorpotel came in earlier than expected and was generously dumped by me with the starters…. I didn’t care cos I just loved the sorpotel. We had some paanpoleys / neer dosas again a Manglaorean speciality to go with the above. Stop drooling.

Everything we ate was good. Although the fish was coated with a thick layer of rawa, it was fresh, huge, soft and fleshy. The prawns were pretty good sized and delicious. The Kubey Mutli looked good and had all the goodness I have had before but it is not my favourite, but everyone was raving about it so I guess it was pretty good. I don’t fancy most Manglorean dishes but I can tell you that they are equally good as we are mixed breed family of Goans & Mangloreans. My favourite was the sorpotel which was expected but it was a Manglorean style sorpotel which simply means that it did not have the sourness which identifies Goan sorpotel and which I adore. However this was for me again the star dish and I dunked it in with some neer dosas.

For our main course we had the Prawn  and bhenda curry  and some hot plain rice to go with it. We also ordered fried Lepos/Sole fish and some Kingfish Masala.  The prawns curry was a bit too creamy but excellent however the bhendas were a bit oldish and had a thready texture, however the curry went well with the rice. The fried lepos were excellent too. The Kingfish masala was ok. Not too exciting or probably had lost its zing from the fact that we had eaten such wonderful food earlier.

During my wife’s previous visit, she had the opportunity to try the Sannas, Pothrade, Channa Sukka , Anchovy Chutney, Bombil fry and Bangda Puli Munchi which were all super. It was a takeout service so some pictures were available of those dishes.

A great place to dine and for all those special Mangalorean delicacies.