Authentic tried and tested simple recipes in mainly Indian cooking, including traditional mangalorean, Goan, East Indian, North Indian recipes and much more…
Cut the brinjals into four lengthwise, removing the head and soak in salted water till required. Heat a vessel and add the ghee, when hot add the red chillies and fenugreek seeds and fry for ½ minute. Add the brinjals and fry till they change colour and turn brown. Add salt, sugar and green chillies. Mix the curd with the corn flour (this helps stabilise the curd and prevents it splitting while cooking). Add the curd to the brinjals and stir then add the water. Cover and cook till the brinjals are tender and the gravy is thick. Roast & powder the mustard and cumin seeds. I usually roast, powder and store the spices separately so have not shown it in the video. Add the roasted powder to the cooked brinjals. Stir well and serve hot with pooris or any Indian bread.
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.
Heat the oven to 220 deg C. Clean and scrub the potatoes well keeping them whole. Prick lightly with a fork to avoid the potatoes bursting. Mix the olive oil, pepper and salt and brush the potatoes with the oil. For softer skins, wrap the potato in silver foil, for crunchier potatoes leave open. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on the size and oven temperature. To speed up baking pierce a metal skewer through the potatoes so that heat is conducted to the centres. To test if potato is done pierce with a skewer which should go through easily.
Prepare the filling while the potatoes are baking so it is ready to be stuffed into the potatoes when baked. Cut a slit or a cross on the top of the potatoes and squeeze the sides so the top is pushed open. Use oven mitts as the potato will be hot. Fluff the flesh of the potato with a fork. Top with your desired filling. Spoon sour cream mixed with a little olive oil and garnish with green onions and serve with a generous helping of corn salad or fill with sour cream and/or corn salad. Makes a delicious meal or starter or a side.
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.
Full of flavour, a great salad for artichoke lovers, like moi! The addition of herbs and abundance of vegetables makes it a hearty sumptuous salad and could easily double-up as a meal paired with crusty bread and some warm soup! Adding roasted peppers and sun dried tomatoes, rather than fresh would certainly take it a notch up. Must try it myself….. Fell free to add your choice of vegetables like asparagus, cucumbers, shredded carrots, olives, sliced fennel, etc.
Artichoke Salad
Marinated Artichoke Salad
Ingredients
1 Can artichokes (400 gms), preferably marinated
1 can chick-peas (400 gms)
1 capsicum (or roasted peppers)
1 Onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup lettuce
1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
Salt to taste (if required)
To marinate the artichokes (if using regular canned artichokes)
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.
Rinse the mushroom under running water. No need to wipe as we will peel them. Remove the stems and set aside. Peel the mushrooms and place in an oven proof baking dish. Chop the mushroom stems finely. Add the grated cheese to a mixing bowl. Heat oil in a pan and saute the mushrooms stems and chopped onion for 2 to 3 minutes till it softens. Cool the mixture and add to the cheese. Add the bread crumbs, pepper powder and salt and mix. Stuff the mushrooms with this mixture and bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven till tops are golden. Serve immediately as a starter or appetizer.
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.
Crispy crunchy buns on the outside with delicious soft luscious cheese and egg on the inside!
Ingredients
3 buns, medium sized
100 gms cheese (1.5 cups grated)
2 tbsp. butter or as required to brush the buns
3 eggs
1 medium onion
¼ cup coriander eaves
1 green chilli
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Grate the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Add finely chopped onion, green chilli and coriander leaves and mix. Cut the top of the buns in small circular shape, about 1” dia, and scoop out the soft dough from the centre of the buns. Melt the butter and brush the inside of the buns including the top. Divide the cheese mixture between the buns and break one egg on top of each one without breaking the egg yolk. Replace the lids over the buns and bake in a moderately hot oven about 190 deg C or gas mark 4 for 20 to 30 minutes to set the eggs, Serve hot. If desired, serve with grated cheese and carrots.
P.S.: Use the leftover soft centre of the buns to make bread pudding or save in the freezer for breadcrumbs when required.
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.
Ready in minutes, makes an instant addition to a dinner table and a great side or accompaniment to any meal. Smaller the cabbage, the better! Steam just before serving. You can adjust the amount of butter required and make sure to use salted butter for extra flavor.
Steamed Cabbage
Ingredients
1 medium cabbage or 2 small cabbages
6 to 8 cubes butter (size as per choice) preferably salted
Pepper and salt, to taste
Clean the whole cabbage by removing the outer leaves if they have any blemishes and look stale. Trim the stem and cut the cabbage into wedges but keeping the stem intact. Place the cabbage in a vessel to compactly arrange. Put the butter cubes in between two wedges of the cabbage and sprinkle some water. Cover and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes or till tender, but not overcooked. The cabbage should be tender but still have the crunch. Serve hot, sprinkled with salt and pepper. It’s best to steam the cabbage just before serving.
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.
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