GOAN FISH CURRY (With Shark Fish)

Of all the region's dishes, one of the most well known is GOAN FISH CURRY. Pronounced go-an (as opposed to "groan" without the "r"), it's an aromatic curry with a blend of spices, garlic, ginger and onion along with fresh tomato and coconut. Goan Fish curry has a touch of tang to it which cuts through the richness of the sauce. You can use any fish in this curry, I have used SHARK FISH to make this rich curry, and trust me, it was so yummy. 

Ingredients:

• Kashmiri chilli - 1/2 tsp 
• Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - 3-4 
• Black mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Fresh Green chilli - 3-4 (as per taste)
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Tomato puree - 1 cup
• Onion - 2
• Sugar - 1/3 tsp
• Dry Red chilli - 2-3
• Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Shark fish (you can use any fish) - half kg (cut into small pieces)

Process :

1. To start with, lets make the curry paste first - put all the ingredients (except fish, coconut milk, Dry red chilli and oil) in a jar and blend to a fine paste. 

2. In a frying pan, add some oil and deep fry the fish pieces, adding only salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

3. In the same pan, add oil and some black mustard seeds and dry red chillies. Then add this curry paste and saute for sometime to make the spice flavors bloom, you can add little water too. Once the fried aroma starts to come out, add coconut milk little by little. Add sugar and salt to balance the taste. Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce and bring the flavors together. Add the fish pieces, cover and cook for more 3-4 minutes. 

4. Garnish with shredded coconut and fresh coriander and serve hot with streamed rice. 

SPINACH MACRONI

All happiness depends on a Leisurely Breakfast and when you have time to do experiment in the kitchen you can do wonders. A super delicious one pot spinach macroni recipe which is cheesy and perfect to serve for breakfast. The cooked macroni is tossed in with spinach puree and melted butter that creates a rich creamy texture as you dig into every bite that you take.

Ingredients:

1. Macroni - 2 cups
2. Spinach - 1 cup (Puree)
3. Oil - 1/2 tsp
4. Cheese - 1/2 cup
5. Butter - 2 tsp
6. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste

Process :

1. To begin with one pot spinach macroni, cook macroni as per the packet instructions in a pan. Once cooked, drain the water. In the same pan, add butter and mix well. Now add the spinach puree and saute it along with macroni until spinach gets cooked.

2. Now add salt and pepper powder and mix again. Finally add cheese, stir and turn off the flame. Serve hot for breakfast or brunch.

GULAB JAMUN

Gulab Jamun - the most liked dessert. This classic Indian Dessert usually enjoyed during festive occasions. Gulab means rose and Jamun meaning berry, makes for Gulab Jamun as a berry-sized ball drunken in rose flavored sugar syrup.  

Ingredients:

(For making jamun)

1. Milk powder - 100 gram
2. Maida - 50 gram (1/2 cup)
3. Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Ghee - 2 tsp
5. Milk (for kneading)
6. Ghee or oil - for frying

(for sugar syrup)

1. Sugar - 2 cup
2. Water - 2 cup
3. Cardamom - 2-3
4. Saffron - 1/4 tsp
5. Rose water - 1 tsp
6. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Process:

1. Firstly, in a bowl take milk powder, maida and baking powder and mix well. Add 2 tsp ghee and mix well making the flour moist. Further add milk as required to combine the dough. Make a soft dough, do not knead the dough, cover and rest for 10 minutes.

2. For preparing the sugar syrup, in a pan add 2 cup sugar and 2 cup water along with cardamom and saffron. Mic well and let it boil for 5 minutes or until the sugar syrup turns sticky. Turn off the flame and add 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp rose water. Lemon juice is added to prevent syrup from crystallizing. Cover and keep the syrup aside.

3. Now, from the dough, start to prepare small ball sized jamuns. Make sure there are no cracks in the jamun, if there are cracks then there are high chances for jamuns to break while frying. 

4. Add oil in a pan and in medium hot oil or ghee, deep fry the jamun balls. Frying in ghee gives food flavor to jamuns. Stir continuously and fry on low flame until the jamuns turn golden brown. Drain off and transfer the jamun to the hot sugar syrup. Cover and rest for 2-3 minutes or until jamuns absorb the sugar syrup and doubles in size. 

Serve hot or just a stand along chilled dish. Can garnish with some pistachio.

Spinach Hummus

Healthy snacking never tasted so good?

Are you used to listening to these types of statements!!

Then its time to try this Spinach Hummus recipe, a perfect way to get a fiber and protein rich snack while adding the greens. 

Ingredients :

1. Pre boiled chickpeas - 1 cup
2. Curd - 1/4 cup
3. Spinach - 1 cup (blenched)
4. Garlic cloves - 4-5 (If you are a vegetarian, you can skip garlic)
5. Green chillies - 2 (or as per taste)
6. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. White sesame seeds - 2 tsp
9. Olive oil - 1 tsp

Process :

1. Dry roast the white sesame seeds and grind to powder form. 

2. Blend all the ingredients mentioned above, including the powder sesame seeds to a rice creamy consistency. Finally add the olive oil.

3. Enjoy this creamy dip with Garlic bread, crackers or any veggies of your choice. 

COFFEE CAKE

December is here and we are experiencing our Instagram and Facebook feeds flooded with yummy cake posts. So I thought to bake my favorite cake and enjoy my piece of cake with everyone. I have not used any coffee essence for baking this, only Nescafe coffee powder and some chocolate chips and I just loved the cake.

Also note, this is baked in Kadhai, not microwave.

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Baking powder - 1 tsp
4. Butter - 1/2 cup
5. Milk (boiled and cold) - 1/2 cup
6. Chocolate chips- 1 tsp
7. Eggs - 2 
8. Salt - pinch of
9. Nescafe coffee powder - 1 tsp

Process :

1. Grease the cake tray. Dust with flour evenly and set aside.

2. Pour milk and suger in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Gently mix until the flour is combined well. Start adding eggs one by one and keep mixing. Lastly add coffee powder and mix well.

3. Once the batter is ready, pour this in the cake tray.

4. Heat the heavy bottom kadai for 10 minutes and then place a steel stand (optional) inside the kadai and place the cake tray. If you do not have a steel stand, you can directly place cake tray in the kadhai. Sprinkle chocolate chips at the top and cover with a lid.

5. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes you can check by putting a knife side the cake, if the knife comes out clean, means the cake is done, else you can cook for another 5 minutes. 

Your Coffee cake is ready to serve. You can garnish it with some more chocolate chips and dust with coffee powder. 

Koraishuti r Kochuri || Matar Kachori || Green peas Kachori

Koraishutir Kochuri - as it is called in the Bengali language and is one of the most beloved Bong  breakfast menu, specially during winter. This is made with green peas stuffing. The stuffing is very mildly spiced so that the flavors of the green peas come through, and the outer covering of the kachori is not flaky or khasta like khasta kachori. The dough that is used is similar to the luchi dough and is made with Maida. These goes very well with Alu'r Dom or Chola'r Dal. 

Ingredients:

(For the dough)

1. Maida (all purpose flour)  - 150 grams
2. Salt - to taste
3. Baking powder - a pinch (optional)
4. Ghee - 2 tea spoon
5. Warm water - to prepare soft dough

(For the filling)

1. Shelled green peas  - 100 grams
2. Salt - to taste
3. Sugar - a pinch
4. Green chillies - 2 / or as per taste
5. Kalo jeera (nigella) - 1/4 tsp/2 tsp
6. Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1/3 tsp
9. Oil - for frying

Process:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine maida, salt, sugar and ghee and mix well. Then add warm water and knead for 5 minutes into a smooth dough. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

2. In another pan, drop the green peas with boiling water, cover and cook until the peas are soft (2 to 3 minutes approx.). Strain and transfer to a grinder jar adding green chillies, little bit of salt and sugar and grind to a fine paste. You can add little water in this paste, if needed.

3. In a small bowl, add ginger paste, cumin powder and coriander powder and make a paste adding 1 tsp of warm water and set aside to use later.

4. Now, we are ready with the spices ready, so lets make the stuffing. Heat 1 tsp oil or ghee in a pan, and temper it with kalo jeera and hing. Add the paste we have prepared with ginger and other powder spices and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the ground peas and saute on medium hear for 5-7 minutes until the mixture dries out and gathers around the spatula in a lump. Set the filling aside to cool. 

5. Divide the Maida dough into 10-12 portions and the pea paste also with same portion. You are ready with 10-12 white balls and 10-12 green small balls. Now the main part of making the kachoris. The same way we do the stuffing part for other parathas, take one green ball and stuff the same inside the Maida dough, cover it properly and set aside. Using the same way, do all the kachori ready.

6. Oil the roiling pin and surface well. Roll the kochuri's with a gentle hand, applying even pressure to a diameter of 13-14 cm. Almost same size we do for Luchi or Poori. 

7. On a frying pan, add oil and lower it into hot oil by pressing gently to allow the kochuri's to puff up. Fry both sides evenly until golden. Drain from the oil and serve hot with Chola'r dal or Alu'r Dom. We have enjoyed with Alu'r Dom.

CHICKEN DAL GOSHT || DALCHA

Dal gosht or Dalcha is a gravy dish which has any meat which is cooked with dal or veggies in it. It is more like a meat sambar. Mostly this recipe is cooked with mutton as well chicken. Here is my recipe for hassle-free one pot Dalcha with chicken.

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken - 200 grams
2. Chana dal - 1/2 cup (soaked for one hour)
3. Onion - 1 big size or 2 medium size
4. Ghee - 3 tsp
5. Garlic cloves - 5-6
6. Red Dry chillies - 2-3
7. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
8. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
9. Cloves - 3-4
10. Green cardamoms -2-3
11. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
13. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
14. Salt to taste
15. Melon seed paste or Kaju paste - 2 tsp

Process:

1. In a cooker, heat ghee, add slice onions, dry red chillies and garlic cloves.
2. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamons, cinnamon, cloves and let them splutter. Saute till onion becomes translucent.
3. Add chicken pieces and mix well, Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Add soaked chana dal and mix well.
4. Add 2 cups of water and kaju paste (or melon seed paste) and mix again. I have used kaju paste. 
5. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and let it cook under pressure till 3-4 whistles. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
6. When the pressure reduces, open the cooker and check if the chicken pieces are properly boiled. (Note - You can add fresh cream if available)
7. Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with fresh coriander or onions. Serve hot, goes well with steamed rice.