Butterfly Pork Chops With Orange & Soya Sauce

4 Butterfly Pork chops
1 tbsp orange rind
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
8 flakes of garlic minced
1” pc of ginger minced
1 green chilly minced
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp oil

Preparation Method

Wash and pat dry the pork chops, Keep it aside.
Take a bowl mix all the above ingredients to make a marinade. Put in the pork chops into the marinade and marinate i for 5-6 hours or keep it overnight in the fridge.
Remove it form the fridge and leave it out for 1 hour till you want to fry it.
Take a frying pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, once it is hot fry the marinated chops on slow fire turning till each side is browned and cooked.
Once the chops are cooked remove it on a plate and keep it aside.
Put all the remaining marinade and juices into the pan until the sauce thickens.
Pour the sauce over the pork chops.
Enjoy the pork chops with Salad.

Simple Meatball Curry with Steamed Rice

1/2 kg Beef Mince
1/2 onion chopped finely
2 flakes garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder

Mix all the above ingredients and make small meat balls and keep it aside.

Ingredients for the Gravy :

2 Med. Onion chopped finely
3 Big tomatoes chopped finely
5-6 flakes of garlic minced
1" ginger minced
1 chilli thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as per taste ( about 1 tsp)
21/2 cups of water
4 Tbsp Oil

Take a deep saucepan put it on the flame, put in the oil. once the oil is heated add the finely chopped onions, fry till it is browned. Add the minced ginger garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes fry till oil separates.
Add the chilli powder, turmeric & cumin powder fry for another minute. Add the water (if you want it more thin u may add more water), add the salt. Let the gravy come to a boil, now add the meatballs and leave it on slow fire for 15 minutes till the meatballs are cooked. Add the green chilli and put off the flame. Meatball curry is ready to be served. Enjoy it with steamed rice.

Fish Kaldeen (Authentic Goan Fish Curry)

This is the authentic goan curry which I've been waiting to post.

Ingredients :

1 big Silver Pomfret(clean and wash, cut into thin slices) or any fish that you like

For grinding :

5 Tbsp Coconut Milk Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
10 Pepper Corns
1 Tbspblespoon Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Flakes Garlic
Small Ball Tamarind
2 Cups Water

Grind the above ingredients into a smooth paste and keep it aside.


For Tempering

2 Onion thinly Sliced
1 Tomato Sliced
2 Tablespoons Oil
1/2 inch Ginger
2 - 3 Green Chillies sliced
Salt n Vinegar to Taste

Preparation Method

Take a vessel put oil. Once the oil is very hot add the chopped ginger fry it a bit then add the sliced onions, brown it. Add the tomatoes and fry it for another 1/2 a minute. Now add the smooth ground masala and fry for another minute.

To the above fried Masala add 2 cups of water or u can add/reduce water depending on the thickness of the curry you prefer. Once the curry boils add the slit green chillies, vinegar & salt as per taste. Now add the fish, let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the gas. Enjoy the yummy creamy kaldeen with plain white rice.

Tom Yum Soup

10 Jumbo Shrimps (clean & devein)
4 cups of Water
3 Veg. Maggie Cube
1 Lemon
1 Chilly chopped
1/2 " ginger pc (julliene)
2" galangal (thai ginger) chopped
3-4 Kaffir lime leaves (chopped)
1 tsp Fish sauce (optional)
1 Onion cut into big cubes
2 Tomatoes roughly chopped
2 Tbsp coconut powder mixed in little hot water.

Preparation Method

In a sauce pan take 4 cups of water, add the maggie cube, chopped chilly, galangal, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce.

Let the soup come to a boil.

Add the cubed onion, tomatoes and let this boil for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the prawns & the coconut milk let it simmer for another minute.

Put off the flame. Enjoy the hot & yummy TOM YUM SOUP...

Hot & Sour Meatball Coriander Soup

250 gms Beef Mince
1/2 bunch Coriander leaves finely chopped
3 bsp Worchestshire Sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp hot suace
2-3 flakes garlic chopped
1" ginger ( julliene)
1/2 carrot (julliene)
1 green bell pepper (julliene)
3 Cups Water
2 veg. Maggi Cube
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp white vinegar


Preparation method

Put mince in a bowl, add the worcestshire sauce, hot sauce, rice vinegar, chopped garlic, 1 pinch of salt and 1/4 bunc of chopped coriander. Leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Shape them into small meatballs.

Take a pan, put 3 cups of water, add the veg. maggie cube & julliened ginger.
Let the stock boil. Add the meatballs and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Put off the flame. Add the white vinegar, julliened carrot and bell pepper with 1/4 bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves. Soup is ready to be served

Bell Pepper Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients

½ kg beef (thinly sliced)
3 bell pepper thinly sliced
1 Onion medium sliced
3 tbsp light Soya Choice
1 pod garlic chopped
2 “ pc of ginger finely chopped
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp tobasco sauce (any hot sauce)
1 ½ tbsp peanut butter
½ cup water
4 tbsp Oil
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar

Preparation Method

Marinate the thinly slice beef with soya sauce, add chopped garlic & ginger, salt, tobasco sauce, black pepper powder. Leave it in the fridge to marinate for 5-6 hours.

Heat the wok add oil, once the oil is hot add the marinated beef and stir fry for 10 minutes until the beef turns light brown, lower the flame add the onion stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Now add the peanut butter, water and on high flame stir until the water gets evaporated. Add the sugar and the vinegar. Add the Bell pepper stir for another 2 minutes. Its ready to be served with hot steaming white rice.

Learn to make Traditional Christmas Sweets

Chicken Satay

2-4 Chicken breast pieces cut into thin strips
1 package wooden skewers

SATAY MARINADE:

4 Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter
1 pod garlic chopped finely
1 inch ginger piece chopped finely
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2-3 spring onions finely chopped
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 ½ Tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Preparation:
Soak the wooden skewers in water while you prepare the meat. This will prevent them from burning (I find the kitchen sink works well for this).

Cut chicken into thin strips (small enough to easily skewer). Place in a bowl.

Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix it well to a smooth paste.

Add the marinade to the meat and stir well to combine. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer (up to 24 hours).

When ready to cook, slide the pieces of meat onto the wooden skewers. Fill only the upper half of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so as to handle it easily while cooking.

Barbecue the satay, or grill it or simply shallow fry it. Make sure to turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked).

Woodear Mushroom & Chicken Thai Soup

Wood Ear Mushrooms (Auricularia Polytricha), also known as Tree Ear, Dry Black Fungus, Silver Ear, Mook Yee, and Cloud Ear. The Wood Ear have a firm, thick skin and an interesting jelly-like, springy yet soft texture when fresh that becomes slightly crunchy when cooked. They're not strong in flavor compared to some other popular exotics - yet, boasting a very delicate forest aroma and a mild, earthy essence. Widely respected in the Orient for its taste, Wood Ear mushrooms are also believed to have medicinal benefits - thought by many to prevent heart disease and contain anticoagulant-type substances, acting like blood thinners that may prevent blood clots.


6-7 Woodear Mushroom (you can buy them from any Filipino/Thai store)
7-8 pieces of boneless chicken (chopped)
4 cups of Water
2 tsp of Soya Sauce
3-4 Thai chillies (chopped) reduce it if you don’t want it spicy
1 inch piece of Galangal (Thai ginger) chopped
2 tbsp vinegar
3-4 Kaffir lime leaves chopped
Salt as per taste
½ tsp pepper
½ cup coconut milk


Take a saucepan add 2 cups of water boil it and then add the wood ear mushroom and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Rinse the soaked mushrooms again and leave it aside.

Take a pot add 2 cups of water, 2 tsp soya sauce, salt to taste, pepper powder, chopped galangal, kaffir lime leaves, boneless chicken, chillies, woodear mushrooms, vinegar and let it boil for 5 minutes. Now lower the flame and leave it on sim for another 10 minutes.

Now add the coconut milk and put off the flame.

Enjoy the Yummy Tangy Spicy Soup.

Carrot Cornmeal Muffins

1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup grated carrot, about 1 medium carrot
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup Cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour, stir before measuring
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preparation:

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Heat orange juice in microwave, add raisins or currants. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Combine the dry ingredients and add to first mixture, mixing just until ingredients are moistened. Add raisins and carrot into the batter, fold it lightly.
Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and sprinkle grated carrot ; bake in preheated 180° C oven for 18 to 2o minutes, or until the muffins bounce back when lightly touched with a finger.

Makes 12 muffins.

Black Pepper Rasam

Rasam – is a South Indian, tangy soup. It is prepared by tamarind or tomatoes, black pepper and other spices. There are various kinds of rasam - Tomato rasam, Lemon Rasam, Ginger rasam, Garlic Rasam, Pineapple Rasam etc. I haven’t tried any of these, the one that I love is the black pepper rasam .

Whenever we go for Thali at any South Indian restaurant, I can simply drink 2-3 bowls of it.

Here is the recipe for the black pepper rasam :

3 big cups water
1 small lemon size tamarind (squeeze out the pulp)
1 medium size tomato
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies(halved)
½ tsp hing (aesofotida)
1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves.
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder.

For Rasam Powder:
1 tsp Black peppar
2 tsp Dry coriander seeds.
1 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds.
2 tsp masur dal (red lentils)
1 red chili.

Grind rasam powder with all the ingredients.Take a sauce pan,heat oil for 2 mins. Put mustard seed, hing, red chilis in oil. Fry till mustard splutters then add water to it. Add tamarind pulp and salt.Add chopped tomato,fresh coriander leaves,curry leaves,turmeric,and 3 tsp rasam powder to it. Allow it to boil for about 8 thoroughly (about 8 mins). Remove from the flame and serve hot with rice.

YUM YUM

We had a great time yesterday. Invited my in-laws and friends for lunch. Made Prawns Szechuan, mini stuffed steak rolls in mushroom sauce, barbecued chicken with baked potatoes, black pepper mutton, russian salad & lemon rice. My SIL made Pat oleos, which were yummy. A perfect lunch, I must say.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

215 gms brown sugar
250 gms all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp instant coffee
1 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla
150 gms Almonds toasted & Chopped roughly 150 gms chocolate,roughly chopped



Preheat oven to 180C

To toast almonds: spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place nuts in a bowl. Cool and then chop coarsely. Set aside while you prepare the dough.

Reduce temperature of oven to 150 degrees C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, coffee, baking soda and salt into a bowl then set aside.

In the bowl beat the eggs and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Now mix in the chocolate/sugar and flour mixtures until a stiff dough forms, adding the almonds.

On a floured surface divide the dough in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches (30 cm) long. Do this by rolling the dough back and forth into a cylinder shape with floured hands. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them well apart (width-wise on the pan), and pat to even the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Tips to freeze the prawns

I want to share a tip to freeze the prawns and have them stored fresh for months. Take any plastic tiffin or empty ice-cream box; layer your fresh prawns in it. Add room temperature water covering the prawns and freeze. Once frozen remove it from the box and have all the packets stored in a large plastic bag.. When you want to use just remove one of the frozen packet and thaw. Each prawn will be fresh, not discoloured nor will you have those black juices running out of the prawns which you see when frozen in plastic bags.

Skewered Ginger Garlic Prawns

Its prawn’s season and we are off to the fish market to buy some. A big bucket of medium sized prawns - total weight 19 kgs, its too much so I shared it with my friend. Happily brought squids, red mullet, mackerels along with prawns but now the big task is packing & storing.

I got 7-8 big prawns in the bucket and planning how I should cook them. Thought will fry them with Reichard Masala but I don’t like the jumbo prawns getting curled up in the pan as the big prawns tend to look small. I want them to look big so just peeled off the head and pulled out the vein. Washed them and patted them dry. Marinated them in a chinese sauce and skewered them neatly with bamboo skewers and pan fried them. Made the sauce and gently poured over the fried prawns. Adrian and sabu almost chewed their fingers. After all its me the great chef…. Here is the recipe :

7-8 Big Prawns (head peeled & deveined)
4 Bamboo skewers
3 tbsp Oil (to fry)

Marinade

3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 big lemon ( juice & the zest)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 ½ inch ginger chopped finely
8-10 flakes of garlic chopped finely



Peel the heads of the prawns, pull out the veins wash and pat dry. Leave the skin intact. Keep it aside.

Mix all the above ingredients to make a paste for marinating.

Pour the marinade over the prawns, cover and keep it in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate. (If you are in a hurry do not marinate)

Take the skewer and insert each marinated prawn straight. One skewer can hold 2 jumbo prawns. Now cut the skewer into half so u can have 1 prawn.

Add little oil in a pan, once hot fry the prawns for 2 minute on each side. Remove it on a plate, do not wash the pan.

In the same pan pour the remaining marinade cook till the sauce thickens a bit..

Drizzle this sauce over the fried prawns.

Rose Water Cookies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp rose water
1 large egg, at room temperature


Sift together the flour and almond meal into a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bow cream the butter until pale yellow. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and rose water. Cream on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, add the egg and mix well. Add the flour mixture. Wrap the dough in a plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a large baking sheet with a foil/parchment paper. Flour your hands. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden around the edges.

Bottlegourd (dudhi/lauki) Curry (Manglorean recipe)

Bottlegourd is one of my favourites. I make it atleast once a week. I see sour faces at home whenever this is cooked. I like it the most when cooked with channa dal (split chick pea) but sabu enjoys the manglorean style curry, so to keep her happy today I'm going make it the authentic manglorean style. For variations in this curry add dry or fresh prawns.

1 Bottlegourd (dudhi/lauki)(1 Kg peel the skin and cut in big cubes)
2 cups of water.
1/2 tsp salt

Masala for Grinding

6-7 Red Kashmiri Chillies
1 tsp cummin seeds
2 tsp corainder seeds
4-5 black peppercorns
1 flake garlic
5 tbsp dessicated coconut
small lemon size ball of tamarind
5 Tbsp Coconut milk powder
1 & 1/2 cup of water

For Tempering

1 big onion
2 tbsp oil


Peel the bottlegourd and cut it into big peices.

In a deep casserole put 2 cups of water , cubed bottlegourd with 1/2 tsp salt and boil until soft.

Grind all the above masala to a fine smooth paste with 1 1/2 cup of water, add more if you need.

Add the ground masala to the cooked bottlegourd and on high fire give a quick boil.

Adjust the salt and the thickness of the curry> If you dont like it too thick you can add little more water.

Take a pan with 2 tbsp oil, once the oil is hot put onion slices and brown it .

Temper the curry with browned onions.

Enjoy this creamy curry with plain boiled rice.



Variations :
If you want to try with dry prawns ( clean the prawns & dry roast in a pan ) add it to the bottlegourd while boiling.

Similary if you are making with fresh prawns peel it, devein and boil it with the
bottlegourd.

Aachar Gosht (lamb in pickling spices)

Today we all feel like eating mutton but none of us want to eat the curries which I normally make. Vindaloo naaaa, Roce curry naaaaa, Shakuti, Green masala naaaa naaaa naaaaa.

Opened my cupboard to check on a new recipe from my cooking books. I found this book, “50 great curries of India by Camellia Panjabi with some different curries which I never tried. My mind is all set on this recipe “Lamb in pickling spices (Aachar Gosht-Bhopal style). Aaachar is the Indian word for pickles. This green curry is aromatic, little tangy and not too hot. The gravy is thick so you can simply have it with roti/paratha/ or plain boiled rice. Since I was going to serve it with Plain rice I made some tomato Saar & french beans vegetable to go along with the Aachar Gosht. .

Ingredients

1 ½ kg Lamb pieces with bones.
2 cups of full fat yoghurt
1 big bunch of coriander leaves
500 gms of onion chopped
6 flakes of garlic
1 inch ginger chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji/onion seeds)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
50 ml oil
8 green chillies
!/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as per taste.

1.Wash the meat, drain and keep it aside.

2.Puree the yoghurt and coriander leaves set aside. Puree the onions garlic and ginger.

3.Lightly pound the fennel, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds in a mortar. Slit 4 chilies and stuff the spice mixture and leave the remaining dry spice mixture to be added later.

4.Take a pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot add the remaining 4 chilies until its pale.

5.Add the onion puree and cook for another 10-15 minutes until it gets pink in colour.

6.Add the remaining dry spice mixture, fry for another minute. Add the yoghurt puree season with turmeric and salt as per taste. Add the stuffed chillies.

7.Add the meat, mix well and bring to a boil.

8.Cover the lid and let it simmer on slow fire for another 45 min to 1 hour until the meat has cooked.

Saltimbocca Steak

Adrian & me we both love to cook as well as eat. Now we have one more member who loves to eat (I should say loves to hog) Sabrina (sabu) my daughter. As a child she was a bad eater, we had to shout for not eating and now we plead at her to stop eating.

Sabu loves Sizzlers and so do I (winkkkk). While we were in Mumbai we tried Saltimbocca Sizzlers at Poptates. The taste was little sour which we both didn’t enjoy but the steak stuffed with bacon & cheese looked yummy. Adrian brought some steak so dinner tonight is Saltimbocca Steak with mushroom sauce, Mashed potatoes & Couscous salad.

Pakodas (Fritters)

My all time favourite evening snack is the different pakodas (fritters) made from potato, onion, chilly. I normally make potato & onion but wanted to try something different so made some with cabbage & paneer. Here is the platter of hot & yummy onion, potato, cabbage & paneer pakodas.

Cornmeal Cookies

I just love baking as the aroma of butter & vanilla is so heavenly. Its been long I've baked any goodies so decided to make some cookies. Last week I tried baking Crunchy Oatmeal raisin cookies. Wasn’t very happy with their shapes as they came out flat but were very crunchy and tasty. I had some cornmeal stored so my search for cornmeal cookies begin and i bumped into these Italian Cornmeal cookies, “Crumiri”. Had all the ingredients in my kitchen shelf, so without wasting any time just off to bake them. Sabu was all excited to help me with the baking. She loves to cream the butter and sugar and finally she did the whole dough. Filled the dough in the pastry bag and Sabu was already with the piping bag running down with imagination as what shapes she should make. She happily piped out some ginger man, shirt, heart and various different shapes on the greased baking sheet. Baked the cookies in a preheated oven for 15 minutes and she was right next to the oven waiting impatiently for the cokies to come out of the oven. Side by side I spooned few cookie drops in another baking sheet. Few were sprinkled with pistachio powder and few I put 1 almond in the centre.

Ingredients :

180 gms unsalted butter
140 gms sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
240 gms all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
110 gms cornmeal

Preheat oven @ 180C. Grease the cookie sheet. Cream the butter & sugar until light and pluffy, add one eggs at a time, add vanilla essence now add the dry mixture of flour, cornmeal & salt. Mix well. Put the dough in a piping bag and and pipe out V , S or any shapes you like. I made few shapes and few dropped few with a tsp and sprinkled it with pistachio powder. Bake it for 15-18 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

Oats & Wheat Flour Pancakes

We love pancakes that are drenched with maple syrup & butter. Tried many recipes but couldnt get anything closer to the pancakes from McDonalds’, just love them. Yummmm. Finally I got a recipe which is nice soft & fluffy and It’s healthy too which can be made in a jiffy. Makes 6 pancakes.

Ingredients :

1 Cup Quaker Oats
1 Cup wheat Flour
1 ½ cup Skimmed Milk
¼ cup Oil
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Eno salt
2 Eggs

Put all the above ingredients in a blender or just whisk it to a smooth batter.
Take 2 big serving spoonful of batter and put it on a hot non stick pan for 2-3 minutes until it starts blistering now turn the other side and leave it for another minute. Serve the pancakes with butter and maple syrup. If you don’t have maple syrup you can also enjoy it with some chocolate syrup or just apply any jam that you prefer and enjoy…….. What a delicious healthy breakfast.

Homemade Goan Reichar Masala for Sale

250 gms Jar : 1.250 KD.

Call on 25664192 to place your order.

Lobster Chilli