Chicken Ghee Roast – Repost & Awards

Recipe: Chicken pieces cooked in ghee(clarified butter) and spices !


    

     It’s been a while that this post has been pending in my drafts. The ghee roast is  a specialty of the Mangalore district in Karnataka. My Dad’s colleague use to get this dish for us who hailed from the South Kanara region. But I had no idea of the name for this dish until I had seen it on a TV show. I've made changes to the recipe with little less spices and as the name suggests, ghee is used for tempering. If anyone likes chicken recipes, then one should try out this yummy and tasty dish. On how to make the chicken ghee roast, follow the recipe !

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken pieces
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate/pulp
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
grind to paste
5 –6 dry red chilies(preferably byadgi/kashmiri chilies)
5 big garlic cloves
2 in ginger
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder

Preparation Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients mentioned and grind them to a fine paste with enough water.
2. Heat ghee in a skillet and add the ground paste and saute for a minute.
3. Add chicken, salt, tamarind and little water and let it cook.
4. Let all the water evaporate and cook till the ghee separates from the sides.(the dish is of a dry/sukka consistency, so a roast)
5. Serve with bread/chapati/nan.

Preparation Time: 20 – 25 mins
Serves: 2 – 3

REPOST & AWARDS !!!

The following Sweet & Spicy Chicken Curry with Spring Onions goes to Priya's Cooking with Seeds- Sesame Seeds Event !

My fellow bloggers, Kanchan of Kitchen Gossip, Deepa of Foodlyrics and Siddhi of Cooked Dil Se have wonderful blogs and visit them for some interesting and yummy recipes. They have shared some wonderful awards with me and I appreciate it so much !!! Thank You girls ! The seven interesting things are shared here. I would like to pass on these awards to all my blogger friends !!

Shepu Bhaath / Shevid Polo – Dill Rice Pilaf

Recipe: Rice and fresh dill cooked together with light spice !

     

Dill, dill and dill(Shatapushpa in Sanskrit), all my previously posted recipes have dill in some form, not to mention how much I love this vegetable/herb. But not anymore, will there be any posts after this one, as I am done with all the fresh dill that was brought last week. Rice preparation with dill called as Sabsige Soppu Bhath/ Shepu Bhaath is very famous in parts of Karnataka state in India and its nice and enchanting to find similar recipe thousand’s of miles away in Iran called Shevid Polo(no claims for authenticity !)

     This recipe had been very much part of my quick dishes during college days and came as a rescue during tight schedules. The other green was spinach, which we included to make palak bhath. Its a one pot meal, simple, quick and not too much to worry about the amount spices to be used. With more spice and ingredients one can vary this dish to make a pilaf/pulao or a biryani too !!! This goes to the event by Joanne, Regional Recipes –Middle East and also to Silpa’s APS-Rice.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups fresh dill, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp oil
3 big garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tsp garam/goda masala
1/2 tsp chili powder OR according to taste
1 tomato, chopped
pinch of turmerc
salt to taste


Preparation Method:
1. Soak the rice for 15 – 20 minutes in warm water. Then drain and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a vessel, add minced garlic and sauté till you get the aroma. Add onions and fry till translucent.
3. Add garam masala, chili powder and mix. Immediately add rice and chopped dill and sauté for few minutes.
4. Add tomatos, salt, water(3 – 3 1/2 cups) and bring to boil. Let it simmer, then close the lid and let it cook on low-med heat.
5. Once done, serve with a raita/salad on the side.


Preparation Time: 25 mins
Serves: 2 - 4
Note:
The consistency of the Bhaath recipe is a slightly overcooked rice and not very dry like a pilaf. So use a little extra water compared to while cooking pilaf.
I’ve also used very less amount of chili powder, but go ahead and add more if preferred.

Lemony Dill Salad

Recipe: Salad greens tossed in olive oil - lemon – dill dressing !

 

     One of my favorite salads, and follows after my dill bhaji recipe/curry. It is very rare that I get some good big bundles of dill, and when I do, sure, I make,  to pick up 3 –4 bunches of the dill @ the Indian stores. Reason being, in other grocery stores it is a tiny bunch sold as a herb. This salad should be prepared fresh as the lemon, tomato and salt will make it juicy, so do not prepare it ahead of time. I haven’t included cucumber in the salad because of the allergies but go ahead and include it to make the salad more crunchy. This tastes great and is as good as a raita on the side with regular meals. The salad goes to Divya’s Show Me Your Salad , Sudeshna’s Carnival of Salad and since dill is very much a part of the middle eastern cuisine, this also goes to  Regional Recipes – Middle East by Joanne. Enjoy the salad !!!

Ingredients:
4 –5 cups greens(lettuce)
1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 onion, sliced, washed
1 tomato, sliced
salt
cucumber slices (optional)

Preparation Method:
1.In a bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and salt.
2. Add the chopped dill leaves and give a nice stir. Add sliced onions and tomatoes and mix.
3. Add the greens, cucumber and toss !!
4. Salad is ready, garnish with some more dill and serve it as a side with the meals !


Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2 - 3

75th Post – Vanilla Sponge Cake - A Guest Post

Guest Post by Sushma of Authentic Food Delights
     

     Sushma’s Authentic Food Delights is a food blog that I admire and follow since I started blogging. I was supposed to request a guest post for my 50th post, but somehow it was postponed and so I didn’t want to miss a special 75th post. Sushma was one of the first persons who regularly visited my blog. If you are looking for some quick, simple and tasty Indo –Chinese recipes or some authentic Indian recipes, then you should visit her blog, Authentic Food Delights. It is gem of a blog with the best recipes in the blogosphere! So please welcome Sushma to share her wonderful recipe  as a 75th post on my blog !! This is Sush in her own words -

     When SE asked me to do a guest post, I easily accepted to do one. SE is a close friend of mine and love the blog as it has some of the unique dishes that are posted. Here is one of my favorite recipes and celebrating SE’s 75th post with a Vanilla Sponge Cake !!!

Vanilla Sponge Cake With Fresh Cream Icing


Ingredients
3/4 cup Maida
3/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup sugar(in original recipe it was ¾ cup,but u can use ur own taste)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 pinches of soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp vanilla sugar(optional)
3 tbsp Milk

For Icing
3/4 cup heavy whipped cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
6-7 tbsp icing sugar
For decorating
3-4 apricots sliced
4 cherry
1 cup chocolate flakes or grated chocolate


Method

For the cake
1.Sieve Maida,baking powder,soda and keep aside
2.Separate the egg yolk and Egg whites.
3.With the help of Electric Beater whisk egg whites then add half of the sugar and whisk well for 2-3 mins till till becomes fluffy and white and it forms peaks and then keep aside
4.In another bowl whisk egg yellow with remaining sugar until smooth and then add the melted butter, vanilla essence,vanilla sugar and mix till creamy consistency.
5.Now add the Egg white mixture to it and mix it lightly till the consistency is smooth now add maida little by little and carefully blend well till smooth and then add enough milk to get a semi-thick batter
6.Pour the batter in a greased cake mould and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 40 minutes or till done
7.Cool it completely on a wire rack before the icing

For the Icing
In a bowl add the cream and the sugar,vanilla essence and beat it well with the help of an electric beater till peak forms
Spread the icing over the cake evenly on all the sides
Decorate it with sliced apricots at the sides of the cake and cherry at the corners and chocolate flakes on all the sides of it
Let it set for few more minutes and then slice it and serve when required

THANKS SUSH FOR THE WONDERFUL POST !!!

Sabsige Soppu / Shepu Bhaji / Dill Curry

Recipe: Fresh dill cooked with lentil and rice seasoned with garlic and chili !

 

     Dill is known as Shepu in Marathi and Suva bhaji/Sabsige soppu in Kannada. Although in most parts of the world, dill is considered a herb to be used for garnish or in pickles, sauces and dressings. But back  in India it is used as a regular vegetable/greens to make curries and bhaji. Although dill is considered to be native of the Mediterranean region, I’ve seen it abundantly grown in the regions I am aware of, that is Karnataka and Maharashtra states in India. It is very much part of the local cuisine and the preparations are known Shepu Bhaji(dill curry) is prepared in the Maharashtrian region, whereas in Karnataka, a pilaf preparation is known as Sabsige Soppu Bhaath(dill rice).

     Dill is very aromatic and gives a tangy flavor to the pickles or salad dressings. It has lot of health benefits and is considered to protect against free radicals and carcinogens, an anti-bacterial spice and the most helpful and flavorful way of preventing bone loss. So next time you come across (preferably at an Indian Store reason being, it is sold as a vegetable and not a herb !) a bunch of these aromatic greens,  pick it up to make this flavorful curry. I guess this preparation  is a special North Karnataka/ Belgaum style of preparation because I haven’t seen any curry which includes a little rice/cracked rice other then in Belgaum and goes to My Legume Love affair MLLA - 19 by Simple Indian Food started by Susan. So for all who avoid or never tasted a dill subzi, try this version ! Its so funny, the first time E had this subzi, he name it as Dill Biryani and the only biryani to be eaten with chapati/bread !!!

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh dill, washed , chopped
1/4 cup rice/cracked rice, soaked
1/8 cup moong dal, soaked
1 1/2 tbsp oil
2 green chilies, chopped
3 – 4 big garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste


Preparation Method:
Pre-prep: Soak the rice and moong dal in warm water for 15- 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
1. Heat oil in a pan, add minced garlic and  sauté till you get the aroma of fried garlic.
2. Add green chilies, onions and sauté till translucent.
3. Add the soaked mung dal and rice, and roast for few minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and let it cook for couple of minutes.
4. Add the washed /chopped fresh dill leaves, salt & turmeric. Cover the lid and cook on low to medium heat for few minutes.
5. Once done, give a stir. Serve with bread/chapati/bhakri/akki roti.
 

Preparation Time: 15 – 20 mins
Serves: 2 - 4

Note:  Increase the amount of rice to 1 – 2 cups and the recipe will be turned into a flavorful and aromatic dill pilaf/pulav !!!

Tags:Dill, subzi, subji, sowa, shepu bhaji, sabsige soppu, sapsige soppu, shepu, suva, suvani bhaji,

Easy Spinach Dip

Recipe: Spinach in seasoned yogurt base !!

     

     I had got this recipe from one of our friends and simply loved it. It is a must starter at any of our get together as home, especially during Christmas holidays. Very simple with the ingredients, I use more of yogurt as a base in this dip rather than sour cream. Since this doesn’t have any use of spices and herbs, this sure is a hit with kids !! Unlike the one in restaurant where it is baked with topped cheese, this is just simple raw spinach combined with yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise and some seasoning. I love to add maggi masala or any chutneys with flax seeds, peanuts or chana dal or use any of your favorite seasonings!! This goes to the No Cook event at PJ's blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh spinach, washed, chopped
1/2 cup yogurt
1/8 cup sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp seasoning (chutney/maggi masala)
salt to taste
pinch of sugar

Preparation Method:
1. Wash and finely chop the spinach.
2. in a bowl, combine spinach, yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise.
3. Add salt, sugar and any seasoning* of you choice and whisk for few seconds. (Most often I use the maggi masala seasoning or dry chutneys. Use any seasoning of your choice)
4. Serve with bread or chips.




Preparation Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2
Note: If there is any leftover dip, use it as a dressing on salad greens !!! The salad will taste awesome !

Khichdi – Lentil Rice – Sattvic Comfort Food

Recipe: Rice and lentils cooked in mild spices !

 

     An another sattvic recipe from my Sattvic Tuesday. Most of the times, our Tuesday dinners are very very  simple and you’ll see I haven’t posted lot of sattvic recipes in recent weeks. But now I am thinking, however simple the recipe is, I should probably post them on the blog. So this  khichdi a popular dish in India made with rice, lentil is a comfort food for lot of people and also a traditional one on some occasions.  The name khichri means mish-mash, is cooked until rice and lentil are combined into one and has a mushy texture to the dish. It is also commonly served as baby food (without spices) and when someone is sick !

      For me this is most often part of the sattvic diet, also the best part of it being a one pot dish ! I’ve used whole spices for tempering, spices which are milder and one can use black pepper or other rajasic spices in very  less amounts to counter the effects of other food types(tamasic) and does not include garlic/onions.Once served, add a dollop of ghee and its will taste amazing !!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup red lentils (masoor)
1 cup veggies (optional
2 tbsp oil/ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppers
5 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2 in cinnamon
5 –6 curry leaves
1/8 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
ghee to garnish

Preparation Method:
1. Heat oil/ghee in a deep vessel. Add the mustard seeds, as they splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and all the other spices.
2. Add the washed rice and lentil and stir for couple of minutes. Add veggies if preferred.
3. Add 4 – 5 cups of water and bring to boil. Add salt, turmeric and let it simmer until the rice, lentils are cooked.
4. Once done it should be mushy, so add water if needed.
5. Add a dollop of ghee while serving. (also added some crushed roasted groundnuts)



Preparation Time: 30 – 40 mins
Serves: 2 - 4

Pineapple Fried Rice – A Vegan Version

Recipe: Fried rice with vegetables and pineapples!

     The first time I had this Thai pineapple fried rice was in one of the Thai restaurants in Philadelphia and it was an instant favorite not just me, but among all my friends too! I’ve made this numerous times, but it never tastes like the one we had at the restaurant, obviously because I skip some of the very much needed ingredients to make this fried rice. I’ve mentioned below that I skip the soya sauce, fish sauce and the eggs that are a must in making/preparing this rice and use some of the chili powder and garam masala to make up for the skipped ingredients. If you don’t mind using soya/fish sauce in your regular cooking, do add and let me know of the outcome !!! But here’s a vegan version of the pineapple fried rice !

Ingredients:
4 cups rice, previously cooked
2 cups pineapple, cubed
2 cups veggies, chopped (used beans, carrots, peas, bell pepper)
2 tbsp nuts (cashews, raisins)
1/4 tsp chili powder(optional)
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
salt to taste
Tempering:
3  tbsp oil
3 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup onions
2 tbsp green chilies, chopped
Ingredients you might consider adding:(I’ve skipped these)
soya sauce/fish sauce
eggs


Preparation Method:
Pre-prep- If there is no previously cooked or left over rice, then cook the rice, separate the cooked grains and let it cool completely before you proceed to make the fried rice.
1. Heat oil in a skillet and add onions and sauté till translucent. Add the chilies, ginger, garlic and sauté.
2. Add  nuts/dry fruits and fry. Then add the chopped vegetables and roast for few minutes.
3. Sprinkle the chili powder, garam masala, salt and mix. Add cubed pineapple and stir briefly.
4. Add the cooked rice, with continuous stirring and tossing, let the rice get coated with the seasonings.
5. Garnish with sesame oil, spring onions, toasted peanuts if preferred !


Preparation Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2 - 4

Note: The ingredients mentioned (ones I skipped) can be added in step 3 before adding pineapples.

Greek Style Vegetable Spinach Soup with Orzo & Awards !

Recipe: Spinach, vegetables and orzo combined to make a lemony soup !

      

     Greek Soup? yes or no…i don’t know ! But couple of search pages on the internet seemed like this would end up in my list of Greek Cuisine. The way it started was that I wanted to make the soup with orzo, since its been a while I’ve used it in cooking. Then I had couple of veggies which were good enough to be combined to dish up this soup.

     I am a big fan of Mediterranean cuisine and love to see how close they resemble some of the Indian recipes, off course with all the less amount of spices. If I had added some lentils instead of orzo, sure this one would have turned into a great Indian dal with lemony peppery taste and vegetables !! Enjoyed this with a piece of bread on the side ! A heart and soul warming in these cold winters !! This goes to the Healthy Inspirations Event - Soups

Ingredients:
1 cup Orzo, cooked, drained
1 cup Vegetables, chopped (used beans, carrots, bellpepper, green onions)
2 cups, Spinach, washed, chopped
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 – 1 tbsp Red Pepper flakes, according to taste
1 tbsp Olive oil
3 –4 big Garlic cloves, chopped
1 Lemon, juiced
Water/Stock as per consistency
salt to taste
pepper/lemon pepper salt for seasoning

Preparation Method:
1. In a vessel with boiling water, cook the orzo pasta with some oil and salt till al-dente. Drain and keep aside.(Do not run under water)
2. Heat oil in a deep vessel. Add the chopped garlic and sauté. Add the chopped onions and saute. Add red pepper flakes.
3. Add the chopped vegetables, chopped spinach and sauté for few minutes.
4. Add water/stock, cooked orzo, salt and bring to boil. Keep covered and let it simmer for 5 – 10 minutes
5. Stir in the lemon juice, pepper/lemon pepper and serve with bread on side !

Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 2 – 4

AWARDS:
Dolly of Curry & Beyond has shared the Beautiful Blogger Award, Namitha & Sunitha of the Collaborative Curry have shared the Kreativ Blogger Award !! Thanks you so much girls for having to share these wonderful awards !!

I would like to share these awards with:
Deepa of Foodlyrics
Simply Food of Simply.Food
PJ of Ginger & Garlic
Silpa of Anita’s Kitched
Joumana of Taste of Beirut
Spice of Spicebuds
San of San’s  Kitchen

Rules for accepting the Kreative Blogger award:
1) Thank the person giving the award
2) Copy the award to your blog
3) Place a link to their blog
4) Name 7 things people don't know about you
5) Nominate 7 bloggers
6) Place a link to those bloggers
7) Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award

And now to the list to
Name 7 things people don't know about you
1. Love to cook but cannot remain/stand in the kitchen for more than an hour(thats why most of recipes are quick ones !)
2. Love indoor palm trees
3. I had maintained all clothes and books from kindergarten to engineering(until some of them were thrown away by mom :-( 
4. Love reading books
5. Enjoy blue oceans, dark green forests, tall mountains, night sky on a full moon behind the coconut palms
6. If watching a movie at home, it takes 4 days to watch the movie in 4 parts.
7. Enjoy driving across country side !

EGGLESS SEMOLINA/RAVA BANANA CAKE

Recipe: Cake with semolina and ripe bananas !!

Wishing Everyone a Happy Sankranti / Pongal / Lohri  !!!

    

      Actually I should have posted some sweet related to Sankranti, with ingredients like sesame and jaggery, but didn’t. I had prepared this couple of days back and thought this is a good time to post it, atleast some sweet ! The recipe is similar to a Konkan cake called dhondas which is made with rava and cucumber. I am allergic to cucumber, so the recipe gets twisted in my own ways to include the over ripe bananas. The other recipe which is a similar one, is the Goan/Konkan Baath Cake which is made with coconut and rava except that this is a eggless version. Very easy to prepare, make it when you don’t know what to do with the over ripe bananas !!!

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed over ripe bananas(2 nos)
1/2 cup semolina/rava/sooji/ferina, fine
1/2 cup sugar, fine
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp milk (skip this for vegan version)
2 cardamoms, powdered

Preparation Method:
1. Mash the over ripe bananas. Add sugar, oil, milk and whisk.
2. Roast the rava for few minutes if preferred(I skipped).  Add salt and baking soda.
3. Combine the both the wet and dry ingredients. Add cardamom powder and give a stir. Close and keep aside for 15 – 20 mins. Transfer to a baking tray.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F and place the tray at the center.
5. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the knife inserted comes out clean



Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 30 – 55 minutes

Serves: 2 - 4

JAVAS / ALSI / AGASHI CHUTNEY / FLAX SEED CHUTNEY

Recipe: Flaxseeds roasted and ground with garlic, chili and salt !

Flax also know as common flax or linseed is known as agashi in Kannada or javas/alsi in Marathi. North Karnataka is famous for its different varieties of dry chutneys and this is one of them. With its warm and nutty flavor the flax seeds/javas/agashi/alasi is dry roasted, combined with garlic,  red chili powder and ground to a fine powder.  Back then we didn’t know that this has so much of health benefits which you can find below. This is a simple North Karnataka style of making the chutney and one can use additional ingredients like peanuts, roasted chana/split peas and dry coconut, but if one is just interested in flax seeds than, this is just it! And tastes very much like karle/gural/nyger seeds chutney.

    One of the most healthy and beneficial, Flax seeds are excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids and dietary fiber. Flax seed oil is considered to be the vegetarian/ vegan substitute or alternative for fish oil omega 3 supplements(EPA and DHA). Some of the heath benefits of the flax seeds are mentioned below [source:WHfoods]

• Rich in fiber
• Protects bone health
• Protection against heart disease, cancer and diabetes
• Comparable cholesterol lowering benefits to statin drugs
• Lowers blood pressure in persons with high cholesterol
• Fends off dry eyes
• Reduces hot flashes almost 60% in women

The chutney can be used in regular meals with chapati/roti as a side with yogurt or just sprinkle it on your meals/vegetables/ breads/sandwiches. Combine it with yogurt to make a dip for regular chips and toasts !

Ingredients:
1 cup of flax seeds(200 g)/agashi/alsi/javas
1 tsp chili powder
4 –5 big cloves of garlic
salt to taste
 

Preparation Method
1. Dry roast the flax seeds till they turn dark brown. (These are light brown in color and gives a nice aroma while roasting!)
2. Cool them and then combine with chili powder, salt and garlic
3. Grind to a fine powder and store in a air tight container.
4. This remains good for month without refrigeration and serve it as needed (mentioned above)

Preparation Time: 15 – 20 mins


Tags: flax seed chutney, alsi chutney, powder, agashi chutney powder, north karnataka, healthy, omega 3s, fish oil substitute, vegetarian, vegan, heart health, brain health, how to make, chutney powder, health benefits, flax seeds, indian

GODA MASALA / KaLa Masala

Recipe: Blend of spices known as goda masala to be used in variety of recipes !

     I was waiting for the batch of masala to get over so that I could prepare one and be able to post. But then I was unable to find the main ingredient which is lichen/black stone flower/dagadi phool that imparts a unique flavor and aroma in the dishes. I had seen it online though it was a very large quantity of the masala, so had told mom to send. So last week I had to receive some coursework books from India and glad she also sent me some of this dagadi phool spice.

    This is one of the famous masala or spice mix that is part of the cuisine of Maharashtra state and is also used in some parts of the North Karnataka, those belonging to the north west parts.The following ingredients may vary based on individual tastes. I like to add more sesame seeds and coconut in masala preparations, so that I can skip adding coconut while cooking. Since the seasame seeds are used in preparing the goda masala, this recipe goes to Priya's New Event Cooking with seeds - seasame seeds.
    Add this masala to vegetable preparations and will taste heavenly! Check out some of the recipes using goda masala, Stuffed Eggplant(Bharleli Vangi), Moth Bean Curry (Matki chi Usal), Sauteed Cauliflower.

Ingredients:
Dry Roast
1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 + 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds (til)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (khaskhas)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (badishop) optional
1 Cup dry coconut

Light roast in oil
1/2 Cup Coriander seeds (dhania)
1/2 tsp green cardamom (elaichi, velchi)
1/2 tsp cloves (lavang)
1/2 tsp peppercorns (kaLi meeri)
1 tsp cinnamon (dalchini)
2 bay leaves (tamalpatra)
1 small star anise
1 tbsp lichen/black stone flower (dagad phool) : The most important spice that gives this spice mix its unique flavor

Preparation Method:
1. Dry roast the ingredients mentioned individually.
2. Roast the other ingredients in very little oil and cool.
3. Once all the ingredients are cooled, grind them to a fine powder.
4. Preserve in air tight container and use as required in variety of dishes !


Note:
Salt is added if making in large quantity as a preservative agent.
Also if needed, lightly roasted red chilies can be included in the ingredients.


Tags: Goda masala, kala masala, sweet masala, Maharashtrian masala, dagad phool, lichen, black stone flower, spice mix, vegetables,spice mix

Goan Fish Fry

Spiced fish steaks/pieces rolled in semolina and shallow fried !!

     Its been a while I’ve posted any seafood recipe. Fish is actually what I prefer compared to chicken or mutton. Its so muchof my favorite that I forget to make a note of the ingredients measured (I am not used to measuring ingredients, but just for the blog) that went into preparing it or sometimes the photograph doesn’t make justice to the the dish. 

   Back home too, we preferred eating fish over other meat and is always prepared in the konkan/goan/malvani style. There will be slight differences between these cuisines even though I have clubbed them together. I have not ventured into any other type of making seafood recipes than konkan style, not because I don’t want to give a try(now that i’ve so many blogger friends, I should actually !), but because I am brought up with, and prefer the konkan/goan style of preparing seafood.

     So here is one of the famous and my favorite fish fry which uses less oil as it is shallow fried/tava fry. I avoid (hate !) deep fried fish and one of the reasons of not venturing into eating seafood outside at gatherings or restaurants ! So here's the recipe for the goan fish fry !

Ingredients:
5– 6 mackerel steaks/pieces (bangda)
5 – 6 kokum/mangosteen peels
1 tsp chili powder (add more for spiciness)
1/4 tsp turmeric
pinch of coriander powder (optional)
pinch of cumin powder (optional)
salt to taste
semolina/rava/sooji/farina for coating
2 - 3 tbsp oil for shallow fry

Preparation Method:

1. Slight remove the scaling of the fish and clean. Apply salt and keep aside for few minutes. Then rinse.
2. Soak the kokum in very little water(3-4 tbsp) and squeeze to make pulp. Discard the peels or use in any curries.
3. To the kokum pulp, add salt, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin powder and make a paste. Apply paste to the fish steaks/pieces.(marinate if required)
4. Roll the fish pieces in semolina/rava
5. Heat oil in a pan fry fish on both sides on low- medium heat.
6. Serve as a side with rice, fish curry and sol kadhi !

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Serves: 3 - 5
Note: If kokum is not available, use tamarind, lime juice or vinegar


Tags: goan fish fry, goan fish fry recipe, fish curry, rava, sooji, tawa fry, tava fry, how to prepare fish fry, indian, masala, shallow fry, goan style, cooking

Karahi / Kadai Chicken (Take Two)

Chicken pieces sautéed and cooked with tomatoes and spice !

 

This is very similar to the karahi chicken posted before except that there is no separate tomato sauce to be prepared. The tomatoes can be added after the chicken is sautéed and then cooked as usual. Since its smaller quantity, I did not bother to marinate the chicken pieces. This recipe is good for someone looking to  prepare a quick one and is simple with ingredients too!

Replace chicken with paneer to make kadhai paneer !!

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken, cubed (~ 300g)
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 green chili, chopped
salt to taste


Preparation Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the green chilies, ginger garlic paste, chicken, salt and sauté for few minutes.
2. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook till the water from tomatoes is evaporated
3. Add the red pepper flakes and give a stir.
4. Serve with nan/roti.


Preparation Time: 20 mins
Serves: 1 - 2

ROASTED BEET ROOT DIP

Roasted beets and onions combined with orange juice, yogurt and spice !!

Once again Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous new year !! We had a good time spent during the vacations and are back with a whirlwind trip. It has been a while I’ve hopped on to other blogs to see what flavorful recipes have been dished out at my blogger friends kitchens !  I will now be  able  to visit your blogs/posts and to start the new year is my post of a Roasted Beetroot Dip. I had come across this dip at one of our local deli’s and was glad to find the ingredients but off course no quantities mentioned. So have my own take of this dip/chutney and sure this is a good and healthy recipe with the orange, beet, yogurt into it.

Ingredients:
1 cup beets, peeled, chopped, roasted
1/2 cup onions, sliced, roasted
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup yogurt
pinch of chili powder
1  garlic clove
salt to taste
oil or oil spray for roasting

Preparation Method:
1. Roast the beets till soft and tender.(I use pan for roasting, alternately one can oven roast the beets, but its time consuming)
2. Roast the onions till they turn slightly brown/translucent.
3. Combine all the ingredients and blend together to make a fine paste.
4. Serve with bread/toasts/chips.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 - 4

Happy New Year 2010 & A Contest Win !!

Wishing Everyone A Very Happy New Year and A Prosperous New Decade !!!

Let it bring good HEALTH, lots of FUN, JOY, HAPPINESS and PEACE !!!

Thank You All for wonderful comments and friendships !!!

I am also happy to announce that we won the  Love'n Bake Baking Inspiration Goodie Box at the Foodie Blogroll Contest !