Goan Style Prawns Curry

Goan style Prawns Curry

A tasty prawns curry. Goes well with rice / sannas.

Serves: 2

You will need

For prawns:

250 g prawns

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon pepper powder

½ teaspoon salt

Wash and clean prawns. Drain out water thoroughly. In a bowl, marinate with above ingredients and keep aside for half an hour.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 dried red chilli

1 onion, thinly sliced

½ - inch piece ginger, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely grated (pick well ripe)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

Marinated prawns

50 ml thick coconut milk

50 ml thin coconut milk

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in 2 tablespoons of water and water and keep aside (spice mix).

Mix thick and thin coconut milk. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add red chilli and fry for 30 seconds.

Add finely sliced onion and fry till golden color.

Add chopped garlic and ginger. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes until golden color and fragrant.

Add finely grated tomato (including juice) and stir well for 2 – 3 minutes until well blended.

Add diluted spice mix (red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder) and stir well on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until the raw smell goes and water dries up / thickens.

Add coconut milk (thick and thin). Cover with a lid and boil on a low heat.

When the coconut milk starts boiling, add marinated prawns and adjust salt to taste. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes or until done. Prawns will cook very fast.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice or sannas.

Banana and Honey Bread

Banana and Honey Bread

Banana bread is oh-so-simple... yet like many simple recipes, requires a few out of the ordinary ingredients to bring it from potentially boring to memorable. A hint of spice, honey for sweetness and moist texture, and one final touch—a few spoonfuls of jam—distinguish this tasty bread from run-of-the-mill versions.

This moist, dense banana bread is a deep golden brown, with mild-to-medium banana flavor and a light touch of spice (Basic recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Tips

Please measure all the ingredients in standard measuring cups and spoons.

Be sure to use ripe bananas; their peels should be bright yellow, with no green showing at all, and beginning to turn brown. For more pronounced banana flavor, use extra-ripe bananas, ones whose peels are mostly black-brown.

An easy way to mash bananas is to peel, cut into chunks, and place in a zip-top plastic bag, leaving about 1/4" open at the top of the bag for air to escape. Gently knead/flatten/squash the banana chunks with your fingers.

Makes – 9 slices (1 small loaf)

You will need

30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (65 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium or 1 large bananas)

1 tablespoon apricot jam or orange marmalade, optional but tasty

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg

½ cup (100 g) All-Purpose Flour / Maida

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease baking dish / loaf pan with 1 teaspoon butter and dust with 2 teaspoons flour (sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of flour inside a cake pan and shake to coat all greased surface. Turn pan upside down to tap out the excess flour ) or greased butter paper.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating till smooth (please use electric beater).

Add the mashed bananas, jam, honey, and eggs, again beating until smooth.

Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring just until smooth.

Pour the banana mixture into a paper - lined and greased or greased loaf pan / baking dish and bake at 170 * C or 325 * F (very moderate) for 30 - 35 minutes or a sewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and also it leaves from the sides of the pan. Cool for a while before turning out onto wire rack. Keep aside to cool for 20 minutes and cut into slices or desired shapes.

To cut banana bread into very thin slices, warm the bread knife a little before slicing the bread.

Samosa

Samosa

A very popular deep fried Indian snack. Goes well with Green chutney / Tamarind – Dates Chutney / Tomato Ketchup !!!

Makes: 8

You will need

For the dough:

1 cup ( 225 g ) refined flour ( maida / all purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

1 tablespoon ghee

2 pinches (1/4 teaspoon) corn flour

2 pinches (1/4 teaspoon) baking powder

2 pinches ajwain ( optional )

80 – 100 ml water (to make the dough)

300 ml oil for deep frying

Method

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub with ghee till it resembles bread crumbs ( approximate time 10 minutes and make it slowly ).

Add corn flour, baking powder and ajawain ( optional ) and stir well.

Add 80 ml water and adjust with 1 - 2 teaspoon water gradually, and knead to make a stiff dough. Knead for at 10 - 12 minutes till smooth and pliable. Keep aside in an air tight container (or cover with a lightly wet towel) for half an hour.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Make a ball and roll it like a chapatti of 6 – inches in diameter. Cut it into two. Fold each part in a triangle shape. Fill the mixture, stick the sides with the help of little water.

Heat oil in a kadai / deep frying pan till smoking. Reduce heat to medium ( moderate ) and fry samosas in batches ( 4 at a time ) turning frequently, till golden and crisp. Do not fry samosas on very high heat. Out covering will get brown color immediately and it won’t cook / fry properly. So always fry on medium heat. It may take 5 - 8 minutes for each side.

Drain and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with any chutneys of your choice.

For Filling:

2 teaspoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon jeera ( cumin seeds )

2 green chillies ( chopped )

1 tablespoon cashew nut, split

3 potatoes, medium size ( boiled and slightly mashed )

1 tablespoon peas ( shelled and boiled ), optional

1/2 teaspoon amchur powder ( dry mango powder )

1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat 2 teaspoon cooking oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds ( jeera ) and fry for 1 minute. Fry green chillies and cashew nuts till fragrant on a low heat.

Add boiled and mashed potatoes, peas, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder. Mix all the ingredients well. Do not add water. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Divide this mixture into 8 equal portions and fill in each samosa covering. Dab a little water along the edges, stick it carefully and deep fry in hot oil.

Green Chutney

Serves: 2 - 3

You will need

1 cup ( 200 g ) chopped coriander leaves ( or 150 g coriander leaves and 50 g mint leaves - wash mint and coriander leaves and drain out water thoroughly )

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 green chillies

1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

1/2 teaspoon sugar ( or to taste )

1/2 - inch piece ginger

Method

Make a thick paste of above ingredients in a mixer with very little water. If you need thick chutney, do not add more water during grinding ( or you can adjust the consistency with 2 - 3 tablespoon water ).