Tag Archives: Main Course

Palak Paneer


Main ingredient being Spinach, it would be worthwhile noting that spinach has a high nutritional value, especially when fresh, frozen, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and folate, with an especially high content of vitamin K. Spinach is a moderate source of the B vitamins, riboflavin and  vitamin B6, vitamin E,  potassium, iron, manganese, and dietary fibre.

Ingredients

200 gms. Paneer, cut into desired cubes

2 bunches palak (spinach)

1 large onion, chopped

1 large tomato, blanched and chopped

1 green chilli, or to taste

1” pc ginger

5 flakes garlic

½ tsp. turmeric (optional)

½ cup milk

2 tbsp. cream

½ tsp. salt or to taste

2 tbsp. ghee or oil

Clean and wash spinach leaves, immersing in plenty of salted water.

Steam the leaves for 3 to 4 minutes, cool and grind to a paste.  Set aside.

Grind the chilli, garlic and ginger to a paste. 

Heat the ghee/oil and fry the chopped onion till soft and translucent.  Add the ground paste and saute till ghee separates, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the chopped tomato and cook till soft.  Add turmeric (if using), salt and palak paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk, stir and let it come to a simmer.  Then add the paneer stir and remove from flame.  It’s best not to overcook and to use minimum spices to avoid diluting the taste of the palak and ruin the texture of the paneer.  Just before serving garnish with cream.  Serve hot with rotis, pulao or jeera rice.

Goan Pulao Aroz


  • Goan Pulao Aroz
  • Pulao & Roast Beef meal – Goan

Goan Pulao – Aroz

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Basmati rice
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 soup cubes
  • 2” stick cinnamon
  • 6 to 8 cloves
  • 5 cardamoms
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • 2 to 3 tbsp. ghee
  • 4 Cups hot water

Method

  1. Wash rice and soak for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Slice the onions,
  3. chop tomatoes.
  4. Heat a wide thick bottom pan and add the ghee.
  5. When hot add the whole spices and the sliced onions.
  6. Saute till the onions are light brown.
  7. Add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
  8. Add turmeric, soup cubes and salt and fry for a minute till the cubes soften.
  9. Add 4 cups hot water and stir to ensure the soup cubes are completely dissolved.
  10. Then add the rice and stir to mix.
  11. Cover and bring to a boil.
  12. Reduce heat to low and cook till water is completely absorbed.
  13. Stir the rice in between gently, to combine the flavours.
  14. Serve hot.

Dahi Curry


Dahi Curry

Dahi Curry / Yogurt curry / Dahi Kadhi

A delicious, light and satisfying  curry served with simple boiled rice or khichidi for days when you need a quick meal or something light to tide you through the day!

Ingredients

  • 250 ml or 500 ml Thick Butter milk or Laban (undiluted)
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1” pc ginger
  • ½ tsp. mustard seeds
  • 1 stalk curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. fenugreek (methi) seeds powder
  • ½ tsp. garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp. salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp. ghee

Method

  1. Heat a pan, add the ghee, when hot add the mustard seeds, when they pop add the curry leaves, chillies, ginger and saute for a minute. 
  2. Add the turmeric, garam masala and methi powder and saute for a minute. 
  3. Then add the butter milk and salt. 
  4. If using bottled laban (butter milk) rinse the bottle with ¼ cup of water and add to the curry 
  5. Heat the curry, stirring occasionally till the edges show signs of boiling. 
  6. Switch off and serve immediately. 
  7. The curry does not require to be boiled or else it will split/curdle. 
  8. Just heat through and serve immediately as an accompaniment with steamed rice, khichidis, pulaos, etc.

Beef Roulade


Beef Roulade

Goan Beef Roulade

Beef steak stuffed rolls – I am calling this Goan Beef Roulade because this is the spicy version of Beef Olives with typical Goan flavors as it includes Chorizo (Goan sausages) in the stuffing. The Beef Olives I have made earlier are a milder version leaning more towards continental cuisine. Try them, both are delicious in their own right!!

Ingredients

  • 1 kg. Beef steaks, beaten
  • 2 medium chopped onions
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 to 4 tbsp. oil or ghee
  • Stuffing : Potato, Carrots, Choris (Goan sausages), Bacon, as required

Grind to a smooth paste

  • 10 red chillies
  • 1 ½ “ pc. Ginger
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 10 cloves
  • 1” cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. peppercorns
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • 4 tbsp. vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt

Method:

P.S.: Ask the butcher to beat and flatten the steaks well. If not you will need to use a mallet or heavy pestle to beat the steaks to thin them so forming the rolls is easier. 

  1. Wash, drain and marinate the steaks in the ground masala paste for one hour.
  2. Prepare the stuffing. 
  3. Peel, wash and cut one potato in 2” sticks. 
  4. Wash carrot, peel and cut into 2” sticks. 
  5. Remove the Goan sausages from the casings. 
  6. Cut the bacon into 2” strips.  As bacon is not available here I have skipped it.  
  7. Spread the steaks on a board and trim off any excess meat and you need a rectangle piece. 
  8. Reserve the extra meat trimmings 
  9. Place the potato, carrot and sausages on one end of the steak and roll into a compact roll. 
  10. Secure with string or toothpicks. Thus make all the rolls.
  1. Heat a wide pan, add the oil/ghee and fry the chopped onions, w
  2. When they soften and are translucent, add the tomato paste and saute 2 to 3 minutes. 
  3. Place the rolls in a single layer (reserve the excess marinade) and fry 3 to 4 minutes on high till light brown. 
  4. Turn over and cook 20 minutes till the gravy almost dries up. 
  5. Stir well scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid burning the onions. 
  6. Add the excess marinade and some water to rinse the bowl and add to the roulade gravy. 
  7. Also add the leftover potatoes and carrots, if any, chopped finely.
  8. Check and adjust seasoning. 
  9. Cook till meat is tender and gravy is thick and oil surfaces. 
  10. Any rolls that are large in size can be cut into pieces before serving. 
  11. Remove the string before serving. 
  12. Toothpicks may be left as it is as they can be easily removed.  Serve hot.

Xacuti


Xacuti

Xacuti or Xacutti (Konkani: शागोती) is a curry prepared in Goa, India, with complex spicing, including white poppy seeds, sliced or grated coconut and large dried red chilies.[1] It is usually prepared with chicken, lamb, or beef.[2][3] It is also known as chacuti in Portuguese.

Xacuti or Shagoti as is commonly known in Goa has its origin in Harmal (now Arambol) in Pernem Taluka of Goa. Here fisherman in the olden days used to get a fresh catch of fish or a local chicken and prepare a gravy for this dish. The gravy typically used local spices like black pepper (meerya), chilli, turmeric, onion, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, etc. The hero was a mildly roasted coconut kernel which is finely grated and lightly toasted. – Source Wikipedia:

Chicken Xacuti

A traditional Goan dish, Xacuti (pronounced ‘Sha-kooti’) almost always made with chicken and the complex array of spices used in preparation of this dish makes is wonderfully flavorful and unique.  Xacuti may also be prepared with beef or lamb.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Kg. Chicken
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. salt

Marination

  • 2” pc. ginger
  • 10 flakes garlic
  • ½ bunch coriander leaves
  • 5 green chillies

Xacuti Masala I

Fry in 1 tsp. oil and grind

  • 1 tsp. oil
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 3 green chillies
  • 1.5” pc. Ginger
  • 7 garlic flakes
  • 1 large coconut (2 cups grated)
  • ½ bunch coriander leaves

Heat oil in a pan and saute sliced onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic for 3 minutes.  Add grated coconut and saute for another 5 to 7 mns.  Once onions are crispy, keep aside.

Xacuti Masala II

Dry Roast the following

  1. ¼ pc. nutmeg
  2. 2” cinnamon
  3. 3 cardamoms
  4. 1 star anise
  5. 1 tsp. fennel (badishep, saunf)
  6. 1 tsp. black pepper
  7. 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
  8. 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
  9. 8 to 10 kashmiri chillies
  10. ½ tsp. turmeric

Grind all the above together to make the xacuti masala paste.

Xacuti preparation

  • 2 tsp. oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 green chillies, slit
  • ¼ cup water

Method

  1. Clean, remove skin and cut chicken into pieces. 
  2. Wash and drain. Add salt and turmeric powder to chicken pieces. 
  3. Grind the marination masala and marinate the chicken pieces for half an hour, or overnight if desired.
  4. Heat oil and add onions and green chillies and fry for a minute. 
  5. Add the marinated chicken and saute for 2 minutes. 
  6. Add the xacuti masala and water and cook 30 to 45 minutes or till chicken is tender. 
  7. Serve hot with bread, rice or sannas.

Cafreal


Frango à Cafreal is a spicy chicken preparation consumed widely in the Indian state of Goa. The preparation originated from the Portuguese colonies in the African continent.[1] It was introduced into the Goan cuisine by the Portuguese and the African soldiers serving under the Portuguese.

The generic preparation involves green chillies, fresh coriander leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, chilli, mace, clove powder and lime juice or vinegar. Chicken Cafreal is always made from whole chicken legs, flavoured with the spices and herbs mentioned and then shallow fried.[2] Chicken Cafreal is usually accompanied by potato wedges and lime wedges. It is a popular dish in the bars and taverns of the state. – Source: Wikipedia

This recipe s inspired by Late Wendell Rodricks

Cafreal – Chicken Cafreal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg. Chicken
  • 1 tsp. garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp. black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp. Turmeric powder
  • 1 bunch coriander leaves (about 100 gms)
  • 12 to 15 flakes garlic
  • 2” piece ginger
  • 6 green chillies (or to taste)
  • 10 cashewnuts
  • 2 Onions
  • 4 Tomatoes (deseeded) (Optional)
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp. ghee or as required

Method

  1. Clean and cut the chicken into large pieces.
  2. Wash and set aside to drain.
  3. Grind to a paste the ingredients from garam masala to lemon juice alongwith the salt.
  4. Marinate the chicken with this masala. 
  5. Refrigerate overnight.
  6. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the chicken in batches to light brown to seal the juices. 
  7. Set chicken aside
  8. Reserve the marinade.
  9. Add the coconut oil to the ghee left over from frying the chicken. 
  10. If not add a tbsp of ghee to a vessel, heat and fry the masala paste for 5 minutes till the raw smell disappears and fat leaves the masala. 
  11. Add the chicken, salt (if required), 1 cup hot water and cook till chicken is tender and gravy is thick. 
  12. Serve hot garnished with onion rings and lemon wedges.
  13. Repeated reheating gives a deeper color and improves the taste and texture of the gravy and the Cafreal just tastes better!

Shahi Biryani Kacchi Biryani


Shahi Biryani (Lamb)

The mother of all biryanis! How to make 5-Star quality Biryani!!  You don’t need to go to a five star hotel/restaurant, you can enjoy it at home!  The recipe may seem daunting but the result is a foolproof excellent biryani sure to please.

Source : Wikipedia

  • In a kacchi biryani, layers of raw marinated meat are alternated with layers with wet, pre-soaked, raw rice (which may be treated with different spices as above), and cooked together by baking or medium-to-low direct heat (typically, for at least an hour). Cooking occurs by a process of steaming from the ingredients’ own moisture: the cooking vessel’s lid is sealed (traditionally, with a strip of wheat dough) so that steam cannot escape.
  • A yoghurt-based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot provides additional flavor and moisture. Potatoes often comprise the bottom-most layer (a technique also used in Iranian cuisine), because, with their natural moisture content, they brown well with less risk of getting burned accidentally. The lid is not opened until the dish is ready to serve.
  • Kacchi biryani is technically much more demanding and time-consuming than pakki biryani, for the following reasons:
  • The different ingredients—meat, rice, potatoes—have different cooking times: tender cuts of meat/chicken can be fully cooked well before the rice is done. To prevent this, many kacchi recipes use parboiled (semi-cooked) rice rather than raw rice.
  • If direct heat is used, there is a risk that the food layer in contact with the vessel bottom may get burned while the interior’s contents are still raw. This risk is minimized by sustained baking with moderate heat, or very slow cooking on low direct heat. This approach, however, increases cooking time considerably.
  • One method is cooking the dish “blind”, with the cooking vessel sealed, so one cannot monitor cooking progress—it takes experience to cook a kacchi biryani just right.

Watch the video for tips and information on making the perfect Kacchi Biryani!

Shahi Biryani / Kacchi Biryani

I Meat –

  • 1 Kg. leg and shoulder of mutton
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. yellow color
  • 3” pc. Ginger
  • 15 flakes garlic
  • 5 green chillies, or to taste
  • 1 large bunch coriander leaves
  • 1 ½” x 1 ½” pc. Peeled raw papaya (I sometimes omit this if not available)
  • 2 tsp. white cumin seeds (regular cumin seeds)
  • 8 cloves
  • 6 cardamoms
  • 1” pc. Cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp. black cumin
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg powder
  • 2 blades mace
  • 2 cups beaten curd
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp. chilli powder or to taste
  1. Clean and cut mutton into large pieces, wash and drain. 
  2. Rub in the salt and keep aside for 15 minutes. 
  3. Drain out the water completely and apply yellow color. 
  4. Powder all the ingredients from cloves to mace.
  5. Mix the masala powder into the mutton and set aside. 
  6. Grind all the ingredients from ginger to white cumin seeds to smooth paste. 
  7. Marinate the mutton for minimum 30 mns. to 1 hour with the ground paste, curd, chilli powder and salt if required.
  8. At this stage the mutton can be pre-prepared and refrigerated overnight.

II Browing Onions and Potatoes

  • 2 cups ghee
  • 6 to 10 large onions  (I have used 10 as I like to use more onion as it does enhance the taste)
  • 6 large potatoes
  • 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. yellow color
  • 10 boiled eggs (optional)

N.B. Don’t be alarmed by the proportion of ghee, its just for frying the onions just about 1/2 cup will be used for the Biryani.

  1. Slice onions.
  2. Heat ghee and fry till rich brown and crisp.  This process will take about an hour. 
  3. Initially keep the heat high and as it begins browning, lower the heat otherwise the onions could get burnt and impart a bitter taste.
  4. So it is a good idea to start with browning the onions first and as they are frying you can go about preparing the meat, etc. 
  5. Drain the onions and keep aside.
  6. Peel and cut potatoes horizontally into half, wash and drain.
  7. Prick lightly with fork and apply yellow color and pinch of salt.
  8. Fry the potatoes in the same ghee as the onions to light brown. Drain and keep aside. 
  9. Add about ½ cup of the remaining ghee to the marinating mutton, mix.
  10. Boiled eggs are optional.  But as we love the addition of eggs, I have added 10 eggs. 
  11. Boil for 3 minutes, switch off and leave in the water for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. 
  12. Drain the water and shell under running water so it is easy to peel.
  13. Make a slit on one side of the egg and keep aside.

III Rice –

  • ½ to 1 kg. Basmati (good quality) Rice (I used 1 kg. rice as we prefer the biryani to have more rice)
  • Sufficient water to cook the rice
  • 6 cloves
  • 4 black cardamoms (use 6 green if you don’t have black on hand)
  • 1/2 “ pc. Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. black cumin
  • ¼ cup rose water
  • 1 tsp. saffron
  • ½ cup warm milk
  • ¼ tsp. yellow color
  1. Wash and drain the rice. 
  2. Soak for atleast 30 minutes. 
  3. Bring water to a boil and add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, cumin and salt. 
  4. Add rice, cook 5 minutes only, till half done and then drain, but keep aside 1 cup of the drained water. 
  5. Heat, crush and soak saffron in the warm milk. 
  6. Mix the yellow color in the saffron milk. 

IV Assembling the Biryani –

  1. Take a deep thick bottomed vessel wide enough to hold the mutton in a single layer without space in between the mutton pieces. 
  2. Spread the mutton with the marinade at the bottom of the pan. 
  3. Dot with a little of the remaining ghee and arrange the potatoes and boiled eggs alternating with each other over the mutton. 
  4. Sprinkle half the rose water, some of the saffron milk and generously with the fried onions, crushed (save some for garnish). 
  5. Over this place the parboiled rice and press slightly. 
  6. Sprinkle the rice water all over, then the remaining rose water and dot with the saffron milk and pour the remaining milk in the centre. 
  7. Drizzle some of the remaining ghee, if desired. 
  8. Cover and seal the vessel.  Either use dough made of wheat flour and water to seal the edge of the vessel or use silver foil to seal and cover tightly. 
  9. Place the sealed vessel on a high flame for 15 minutes. 
  10. Then transfer to a very hot (450 deg F) oven and cook for 1 hour. 
  11. Alternately, cook on the stove top on very low flame (after the 15 minutes on high) for 1 hour. 
  12. Serve hot with boondi or tomato onion raita.

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