Authentic tried and tested simple recipes in mainly Indian cooking, including traditional mangalorean, Goan, East Indian, North Indian recipes and much more…
Slit the green chillies and grate the amlas. Discard the seed. Heat a pan and add ghee, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the channa dal, urad dal, cashewnuts and fry till light golden. Add the green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a minute. Add the grated amla and (raw mango if using) and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder and salt and stir and mix well. Cook the mixture on low heat for 5 minutes, mix and check seasoning. Add the cooked rice, mix well and heat through.
Cold grilled meats are the basis for this salad, be it tandoori chicken, Kastoori kabab, chicken tikka, etc. The salad is so delicious, I could eat it everyday! Stuff it into pita bread or chapati or roti, for a tasty and sumptuous sandwich. Leftover grilled chicken works well for this salad. I simply love this salad and so will you!! Oh so colorful too……
Ingredients
500 gms. approx. Grilled chicken
1 Large tomato
1 Large onion
2 green chillies
¼ cup coriander leaves
Dressing
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. chaat masala
¼ tsp. green cardamom powder
6 tbsp. olive oil or any preferred oil
Salt if required
Garnish
2 Tomatoes
1 Lemon
2 tbsp. ginger
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Cool the roasted chicken or use leftover chicken. Debone (if on the bone) and cut into ¾” chunks. Refrigerate. Peel and cut onions in larges dices. Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters, deseed and cut into ½ “ pieces. Clean and wash chillies and coriander and chop finely.
To make the dressing: In a bowl, mix lemon juice, chaat masala, cardamom powder and oil and adjust seasoning.
Garnish: Slice or cut lemon into wedges, tomatoes into slices or quarters. Scrape and cut ginger into juliennes and soak in the lemon juice.
To serve the salad – Mix the onion and tomatoes in the chicekn, add the chopped coriander leaves and chillies, pour over the dressing and toss well. Garnish with lemon, tomatoes and ginger juliennes and serve chilled.
The traditional Mangalorean cucumber cake, both steamed and baked versions. A favorite cake of the south especially mangaloreans relished by young and old. Also called Tavsali or Tausali from the Konkani name for the local cucumber ‘Tousche’. Other names are Thekkare Adde, Thekkare Ghatti. Using only raw (white) rice make the cucumber cake quite dense and firm but this texture is preferred by many. I prefer mixing both raw and boiled rice so that the texture is a bit softer.
Ingredients
2 cups boiled rice (1 cup basmati + 1 cup boiled)
1 coconut
2 cups jaggery
1 large cucumber
6 cardamoms, powdered
Salt to taste
½ cup cashewnuts/almonds (optional)
Method
Wash and soak the rice for 3 to 4 hours.
Grind to a paste alongwith the coconut, grated cucumber, jaggery and salt.
Add the cardamom powder and let it stand for about an hour.
Add the chopped nuts, if desired.
Bake or steam till done.
To test if the mandas is ready, insert a toothpick or a knife in the center and it should come out clean.
It really depends on the size of container, thicker the mandas more the time. Having said that, you can initially steam it for 30 minutes straight, after which you may test with toothpick or a knife and if it comes out clean it’s done. If not steam further and check at 10 to 15 minute intervals. The centre should be set and not jiggle. It firms up further upon cooling.
Baking takes a fairly longer time about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Baking also renders the mandas a bit hard, hence I prefer steaming.
Sieve the flour with salt, soda bi-carb and baking powder and mix.
Take a bowl and break the egg into it, add eh sugar, yogurt and milk and whisk. Keep aside.
Make a bay in the flour, pour water about ¾ cup and mix gradually. hen it comes together as a dough, knead to 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the egg mixture gradually little at a time and knead till well incorporated. (Do not add all the egg mixture at one time, will make the dough too wet to handle.
When fully mixed, knead to make a soft but smooth dough. It should not stick to the fingers.
Cover with a moist cloth and set aside 10 minutes.
Then add the oil, knead and punch the dough and again cover the moist cloth and keep aside 2 hours to allow the dough to rise.
Divide into 6 to 8 equal portions, make balls and place on a lightly floured surface.
Sprinkle kalonji and melon seeds or any other garnish you will be using,
flatten the balls slightly and keep aside 5 minutes. Flatten each portion between the palms to make a round disc and then stretch in one side in an elongated oval.
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Place the naans on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
In a tandoor, place the naan on a gaddi (cushioned pad) and stick inside a moderately hot tandoor and bake for 3 minutes.
I have baked them on the stove top on a tawa, till light brown on both sides and then finished cooking the naan directly on the flame.
Apply garlic butter on the naan as soon as it is removed from heat and serve immediately with Raan, Butter chicken or any Indian veg or non veg gravy.
3 tbsp. Rum (certainly, if available otherwise optional)
Clean Leg of Lamb and prick with a fork.
Mix red chili powder and salt with the ginger garlic paste and rub this mixture evenly on the raan, arrange in a baking tray and douse with vinegar.
Keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
Broil the peppercorns on a tawa and pound with a pestle.
Clean wash and cut the spring onions into thin roundels. Finely chop the greens.
Preheat the oven to 300 deg F. Add enough water to immerse three-fourths of the lamb leg, cover the baking tray with silver foil and put the raan on dum in the pre-heated oven for an hour and 15 minutes. (Check at regular intervals to ensure the meat is not over-cooked. The right time to remove is when the meat leaves the bone at both ends).
Tear off the foil, cool, remove raan, strain and reserve the jus.
To make the gravy, transfer the jus to a vessel, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, add tomato puree and reduce the gravy to a sauce consistency.
Add pepper, nutmeg and salt, simmer for 2 minutes, add butter and stir constantly until the butter is incorporated.
Remove, add cream and 2 tbsp. of rum, stir. Adjust seasoning.
Make deep incision on the raan right down to the bone and carefully remove (if desired) the bone. If removing the bone, make ¼ inch thick slices, arrange in a shallow casserole, sprinkle the remaining rum and return the raan to the pre-heated oven for 3-4 minutes.
To serve, remove the casserole from the oven, pour on the gravy, sprinkle a little pepper, garnish with sping onions and serve with Naan.
A rich South Indian preparation of Peas and mushrooms. It’s a breeze if you are going to use frozen peas and canned mushrooms, like I have done. Those who don’t like mushrooms can substitute with eggplant, zucchini, tofu, sweet potatoes. And those who don’t prefer peas, you may substitute with corn.
Mushrooms and Peas Curry
Bataani Kaal Kari
Ingredients
250 gms. mushrooms
250 gms. Green peas
½ tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. fenugreek seeds (optional)
1 tsp. urad dal (black gram dal)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tbsp. coconut cream powder
1 tbsp. cashewnuts
1 sprig curry leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. oil
Method
If using fresh peas, peel, wash and boil. Set aside.
If using fresh mushrooms, rinse under running water and cut into fours or slices or halves if they are small.
Saute in a tsp of oil on medium for 3 to 4 minutes and set aside.
I have used canned mushrooms (drained) and frozen peas, so will be cooking both directly.
Heat oil and add the mustard seeds, when they cackle, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds and the urad dal and saute till the dal changes color.
Add the chopped onion and cook till translucent and light brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till liquid evaporates.
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
Add a little water so the spices do not burn and saute for a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till fat separates.
If using canned mushrooms and frozen peas add and mix and add 1 cup hot water for gravy and cook, stirring in between till fat at surfaces.
Meanwhile dilute the coconut cream in 2 tbsp. water and add to the mushroom peas curry, stir.
Blend the cashewnuts with a little water to a paste or powder fine and dilute with some water to a paste.
Add the paste to the curry and simmer 5 minutes.
If using fresh peas (boiled) and mushrooms (sauteed), add them at this step.
Add fresh coriander reserving some for garnish.
Adjust seasoning.
Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander.
A typical and most famous sindhi breakfast consisting of dal and served with pakwan i.e. crisp puris. Quite delicious and satisfying. Enjoy as breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
For Dal
2 cups chana (split chick peas) dal
2 medium onions (one for garnish)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
6 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. Chilli powder
1 tsp. amchur (dry mango powder)
½ tsp. garam masala powder
1 tsp. Salt or to taste
2 tbsp. ghee or oil
For Pakwan
2 cups Maida (all purpose flour)
½ tsp. Ajwain (Carom seeds)
½ tsp. Cumin seeds
½ tsp. chilli powder
3 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
Water to knead to dough
Oil for deep frying
Method
Wash the dal and soak for 1 hour. Take a vessel and place on heat, add the ghee or oil and when hot, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and chopped onion and fry till onions are soft and light brown. Add the chopped tomato (I have used 1 tbsp. tomato paste instead), and saute for a minute. Add the dal, turmeric powder and salt. Add sufficient hot water to cover the dal and cook till dal is tender but not mushy. There should be no white spot in the center of the dal. Add the chillie powder, amchur and garam masala powder and cook till fat surfaces. If water has dried up add a cup of water. The Dal should have some gravy. Add the green chillies and cook further 5 minutes. Remove. Serve hot garnished with chopped onion, coriander leaves and tamarind chutney or Green chutney. Add both chutneys if you prefer. Serve with Pakwan.
To make Pakwan
Mix the flour with cumin, ajwain, salt, chilli powder and ghee, mix well. Add water little buy little and knead to a semi hard dough. Cover and leave to rest 15 minutes. Divide into 15 portions and roll each out into a thin disc. Prick the surface with a fork (to prevent it puffing) as you want it crisp. Heat oil in a kadai to hot and fry the pakwan on medium low heat till crisp and golden. Serve hot with dal for a delicious and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner or a snack!
To make Sweet Chutney (Saunth)
Made from Mango powder and usually served with snacks
5 tsp mango powder (Amchur)
3/4 cups sugar or jaggery (I used jaggery)
2 ½ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. Black salt
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. black cardamom seeds (use white if not available)
1 tsp. red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 drop red food color
1 small raw mango
Roast the cumin on a pan, cool. Pound black salt with a pestle if it is in chunks. Powder the cumin, black salt, peppercorns, cardamom seeds to a fine powder. Transfer to a dry bowl and add the red chill powder and salt and mix well. Sieve the mango powder to break up the lumps. Peel, and cut the mango into small pieces. To make a larger quantity, double the ingredients.
Put 1 cup water in a saucepan, add mango powder and whisk to prevent lumps. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens and becomes glossy. Add the remaining ingredients (except mango pieces) and stir till jaggery dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove and sieve through a soup strainer and cool. Add the mango pieces and refrigerate.
To make green chutney:
Grind to a paste:
1” pc ginger
2 green chillies
2 flakes garlic
1 to 2 cups fresh coriander leaves
½ cup mint leaves
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt or to taste
Grind all together to a paste without adding water as far as possible.
Grind the corn coarsely, leaving some whole. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger paste. Alternatively, grind 2 green chillies, 3 flakes garlic and 1” pc ginger with the corn. Add the gram flour, lemon juice, salt, sugar and coriander leaves. Drop tbsp. full into hot oil or form into kababs and deep fry. May be shallow fried if preferred. Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney. Great as a snack, appetizer or into as a sandwich.
My Mother’s recipe from her book Mais Recipes – contains 175 more recipes.
Delicious curry will tempt you to drink the curry and lick your fingers. Traditionally served with Appams,sannas, panpole, etc. so you can mop the lip smacking curry and enjoy. Same recipe is used to make Chicken Roce Curry. Please strictly follow the recipe for perfect results.
Ingredients
1.5 kg. mutton
1 cup thick coconut milk (or 1 can 400ml ready coconut milk)
2 medium potatoes (cubed)
1 onion (sliced), 1 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste
Roast (each separately) & grind to a paste with a little tamarind
1.5 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. poppy seeds (optional)
1” pc. cinnamon,
4 cloves
10 kashmiri chillies,
8 pepper corns
6 flakes garlic
1 medium onion
4 tbsp. coconut powder
Method
Clean, remove and cut mutton into medium pieces. Wash and set aside to drain.
Heat oil and fry the sliced onion till light brown. Add the mutton pieces and fry till it changes color and the water dries up
Add the light coconut milk (optional) or water & bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until the mutton is tender.
Add the ground masala paste, water for curry as required and when it starts boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or till fat surfaces.
Then add the potatoes and cook 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are cooked, add the thick coconut milk, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
For extra flavour, garnish the mutton curry with one sliced onion fried to a golden brown in 2 tbsp. oil.
I am putting out this post early so that those who don’t have access to turmeric leaves (traditionally used for patoleos/pathoyos/patolis) can use alternatives rather than dampen the spirit of the celebration. True, the delicious flavour and aroma of turmeric leaves will be sacrificed…. I will just imagine the aroma with every bite of the banana leaf patoleos!
Secondly, many skip making patoleos due to time constraints. In that situation, prepare them on the next weekend, freeze them and steam the patoleos on the day required so you can enjoy them freshly steamed.
August 15 (Independence Day in India) happens to coincide with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (a Holy day of obligation) and Patoleos are a significant item prepared by Goan & Mangalorean catholics on this day. East Indians call it Pan Mori or East Indian leaf cakes. It is also prepared on St, John’s feast (Sao Joao fest) and Konsachem fest (harvest festival). Ediyos, or Pudde steamed in jackfruit leaves were also prepared on August 15, by my mother.
Konkani hindus prepare patoleos on the second Sunday of Sharavan or Nag Panchami and on Hartalika, the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi. Salt-free patoleos, are offered to Goddess Parvati, who the legends say had a strong craving for these sweets during pregnancy.
If Turmeric leaves are not available in your region, be creative and use any leaves (that can be used for cooking) available near you like banana, fig, bay, maple, teak, corn husks, Okra (Lady finger) leaves, etc. Champa flower leaves are also used for steaming food and enjoy your sweet steamed rice cakes. Be creative and make do with what is available and enjoy rather than omitting your traditional foods altogether!
Patoleo
Ingredients
1 Cup basmati rice
1/2 cup boiled rice
1 cup coconut to grind with rice (optional)
1 ½ cups grated coconut
1 cup jaggery, grated
6 cardamoms, powdered
Pinch of salt
Fresh haldi (saffron) leaves or any edible available leaves
Method
Mix the remaining coconut and jaggery and cook till blended.
Add cardamom powder and mix.
Set aside to cool.
Wipe the leaves clean.
Apply the rice paste evenly over the leaf taking care to spread in the direction of the ridges of the leaf. This gives a subtle ridged effect to the patoleos when cooked.
Spread a tablespoon full or more as required of the coconut jaggery filling over the rice paste on one side of the leaf.
Fold the leaf over and prepare all the patolis in similar manner.
If the leaves are too big, cut the patolis in half or quarters so that they fit comfortably into the steamer.
Put some water into the steamer and bring to a boil.
Place the tray and put the patoleos into the steamer.
You can even place them one over the other.
Place the lid on the steamer and steam for 20 to 25 minutes till done.
The leaf will change color and the patolis will be firm.
Two-in-one recipe Chole bhature is a typical dish widely eaten in Northern India mainly Punjab. It is a combination of chana masala (spicy white chickpeas) and bhatura/puri, a fried bread made from maida.
Chole bhature is often eaten as a breakfast dish, sometimes accompanied with lassi. It can also be street food or a complete meal and may be accompanied with onions, pickled carrots, green chutney or achaar.
Ingredients
2 cups Kabuli chana (Chickpeas) soaked overnight and boiled (or use 2 cans of ready chick peas 400 gms. each)
3 large tomatoes, chopped (or one cup pasatta, or 2 tbsp. tomato paste)
½ tsp whole black pepper corns
1 tsp Ajwain (caraway seeds)
2 tsp. Kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. tamarind pulp
1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
½ tsp. garam masala powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. Ghee or Oil
Chopped onions for garnish
Chopped coriander for garnish
Heat ghee and add the pepper corns and ajwain. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn soft (alternately use a cup of pasatta and cook few minutes).
Add chilli, turmeric and fry till oil separates.
Add the boiled chana alongwith the liquid and adjust salt.
Bring to a boil and simmer few mintues while mashing some of the chana to thicken the gravy.
Add the tamarind pulp, cook five minutes and then add the cumin powder and garam masala powder.
Stir well and simmer till fat surfaces and gravy is thick.
Sieve with the flour and rava with the baking powder and soda bicarb and salt.
Mix 1 tsp. sugar with 2 tbsp. yogurt, make a well in the centre of the flour, add water little at a time and bring the flour together and knead to a soft but firm dough.
Cover with a wet cloth and leave for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add melted ghee and knead the dough soft and smooth.
Leave covered with cloth to rest for 45 minutes.
Divide into lemon sized balls or as per desired size and roll out into discs and deep fry in hot oil till puffed up on both sides.
Serve hot with Chhole garnished with chopped onion & coriander leaves.
Kashmiri Wazwan recipe, Kashmiri Haakh recipe. To cook it in a jiffy, I have used frozen spinach.
If using whole leaf frozen spinach, like I have done, this dish should not take more than 15 minutes including preparation. No chopping or cleaning of spinach required, just throw all the ingredients together in a pot and you have a wholesome, healthy, nutritious and delicious dish generously spiked with garlic and red chillies but since the chillis are Kashmiri, the dish is not spicy hot!! And if like me you have a batch of peeled garlic always handy, should not take more than 10 minutes!
Ingredients
2 tbsp. oil (mustard if preferred)
3 brown cardamoms, or 3 to 4 green cardamoms
10 kashmiri whole chillies
25 whole garlic, peeled
250 gms. whole spinach
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
Heat oil and add the brown cardamom, kashmiri whole chillies, whole garlic, whole spinach (saag), little salt and water.
Cook till done (in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle).
Serve hot.
P.S.: The quantity of red chillies may seem daunting but trust me the saag did not turn out spicy hot as would be expected because Kashmiri chillies as usual are mild.
Methi Paez – serve a bowl full to the lactating mother for atleast one month, every alternate day, post lunch, starting eight days after delivery!
Cures backache, promotes lactating i.e. increases breast milk, strengthens and helps in bringing back the uterus to its contracted state, relieves flatulence.
Methi paez or fenugreek gruel has several medicinal properties as fenugreek has many nutritional benefits containing fibre, minerals. iron and magnesium, so is beneficial to everyone, not only for lactating mothers
Ingredients
1 cup boiled rice
½ cup methi seeds
1 cup coconut juice
Pinch of salt (optional)
¾ cup jaggery
Method
Wash and soak the methi for 4 to 6 hours.
You can soak the boiled rice too, if you wish, separately.
Drain the rice and methi seeds and transfer to utensil.
Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
Remove scum from the surface.
Reduce heat and cook till rice and methi are soft, stirring occasionally.
If the water dries out, add a cup or two of water, as per desired consistency.
If you prefer the methi paez thick, avoid using additional water.
Add the jaggery and stir till the jaggery has dissolved.
Then add the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
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