CHICKEN LIVER IN GREEN MASALA

Chicken Liver is quite a favorite with hubby and I; however, since my kids don’t eat liver at all, I end up making a small portion and not so frequently.  I have tried out a few different variations and posted on the blog.

With the work from home directive during this period of lockdown, (hope everyone is keeping well; please stay safe) I find myself having some free time on my hands.  I have been kind of planning out my menus based on what is available at home.  I had bought the chicken liver just before the lockdown and didn’t want to keep it for too long, so today’s menu was a simple rice/sourak/jackfruit pappad and chicken liver.

Whilst rummaging through the fridge, I noticed that I had quite a lot of coriander leaves that I had brought just before the lockdown.  Needed to use this before it got spoilt so settled on a recipe for Chicken Liver in Green Masala.

Ingredients:

1. ½ kg chicken liver
2. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
3. ½ tsp pepper powder
4. ½ tsp salt
5. 1 tsp vinegar (I use malt)
6. 2-3 green chillies, chopped fine,
7. ½ tsp jeera seeds
8. 4 large flakes of garlic, chopped fine
9. 1-inch piece of ginger, chopped fine
10. 1 cup washed and chopped coriander leaves
11. 8-10 mint leaves, washed and chopped
12. 1 tsp salt
13. 1 cup yoghurt
14. 2 tbsp fried onions – brista(optional). I use store bought
15. 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee
16. 4 cloves, 3 cardamoms, 1 inch of cinnamon and a sprig of curry leaves

Method:

1. Trim the livers of any membranes, veins or connective tissues.
2. Wash the liver and let it drain in a colander. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel and then cut into halves or medium size pieces.
3. Marinate ingredients 1-5 for 15-20 minutes and set aside
4. In a mortar and pestle, add ingredients 6-12 and crush to a paste (not very fine)
5. Add this paste together with the yoghurt and fried onions to the marinated liver and keep in the fridge for about 2 hours.
6. Remove from fridge at least ½ an hour before cooking
7. Heat a non-stick pan or kadai. Add 1 tbsp oil and then add the ingredients under point 16 (see note)
8. Next add the marinated liver and toss gently. The mixture will release a lot of water.
9. Keep cooking till the mixture dries up and the oil is released. If required, you can add ¼ cup of hot water.  Cook till done (It took nearly 10 minutes). Add the ghee and mix well.
10. Check for seasoning; at this stage if you like it spicy you can add a little freshly crush pepper.
11. Switch of the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve as a side dish or as a starter.

Note:

• I like to soak the liver in water mixed with a little milk for about 15-20 minutes to remove any impurities and strong flavors. I then wash and drain in a colander.
• You can skip the brista (fried onions) and replace with 1 large onion finely sliced at stage 7 of the preparation.

CHICKEN MINCE MASALA

Mince is such a versatile ingredient to work with.  It is not limited to just burgers, meatballs, filling for pan rolls and potato chops/puffs, shepherd’s pie or lasagne but depending on its preparation, it can be used in a variety of dishes; mains or sides.   I ensure that I have beef mince always stacked in my freezer; it comes very handy to make cutlets, meat ball curry or just a side-dish.   Our preference at home would be for beef mince, I don’t really buy chicken mince.   I was chatting with my cousin over the weekend and we got talking about chicken mince recipes, that’s how this dish came about.

I have my mum-in-law visiting and she doesn’t eat beef so this was a perfect dish to make; surprisingly I had chicken mince in the freezer, I had planned to make some chicken mince last week for my nephew who doesn’t eat beef but I didn’t get down to cooking it.   I have cooked this in a pressure cooker (5 minutes on low heat after the 1^st whistle) but you can cook it in a pot.  Tastes yum with chapattis or some jeera rice.

Do give it a try.

Ingredients:

½ kg chicken mince, washed and drained.

1 tbsp. oil

1 tbsp. ghee

1 tsp. cumin (jeera) seeds, 1 bay leaf

8 peppercorns, 4-6 cloves, 3-4 small cardamoms, 1 large cardamom, 1-piece cinnamon

2 large onions, chopped fine

1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste

2 large tomatoes pureed (see note)

4 tbsp. yoghurt, whipped

½ tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. coriander powder

2 tsp. kasuri methi

6-8 large mint leaves, chopped

2-3 green chillies, slit

½ cup of chopped coriander leaves, reserve some for garnish

1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp. of sugar (see note)

¼ cup of frozen peas (optional)

½ cup hot water

A squeeze of lemon juice

Method:

• Heat oil and ghee, add the bay leaf, cumin seeds and all the full spices (from pepper to cinnamon) and sauté for a few seconds. Next add the chopped onions with a bit of salt and sugar and sauté.  Halfway through the process, add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw flavour is gone.
• Now add the spice powders and sauté for 45 seconds to a minute (do not let the spices burn). Add the mince and mix well till incorporated with the onion and spice mixture.  Ensure there are no lumps. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
• Next add the green chillies, kasuri methi, mint leaves and part of the coriander leaves and mix well followed by the tomato puree, whipped yoghurt, water and salt.
• Add the frozen peas (if using) and cook till peas and mince are done. When nearly done add the garam masala powder and cook for a further couple of minutes.
• Switch off flame. Squeeze some lemon juice and mix well.  Garnish with coriander leaves.  Serve with chapattis or with jeera rice.

Note:

1. To ensure that there are no lumps in the mince add a couple of tbsp. of water to the raw mince and mix well.
2. I like to add a bit of salt and sugar when frying the onions as it helps in caramelizing the onions.
3. You can use store bought tomato puree or prepare at home – for home-made: make a small cross on the tomato, blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds, peel off the skin and blend. I sometimes use the canned roma tomatoes and crush these roughly.   This works well too.
4. Peas make a good addition in terms of taste and colour. I do not use peas as my daughter is not fond of it.
5. You can also add some finely chopped coloured capsicum before adding the garam masala.
6. Don’t skip the lemon juice.

FISH CUTLETS

Fish cutlets are a constant at our place.   I generally make these with canned tuna.   However, over the weekend I came across some very fresh Hoki fish and was tempted to make cutlets with these.   Hoki is a white, naturally flaky fish available in New Zealand.   It is a very tasty fish.   The cutlets turned out delicious and were a hit with the family.

These make for a tasty starter served with some ketchup or chilli sauce or a side dish to accompany a simple meal of rice and dhal.

Do give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 500 gms fresh fish fillets (I have used hoki – available in New Zealand) – any white flaky fish would do
• ½ onion
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• A few peppercorns

Other ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 3-4 flakes of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small piece of ginger, finely chopped
• ½ tsp. each of chilli, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric powders
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2-3 tbsp. tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup of chopped coriander leaves
• 1-2 bread slices
• 2 medium boiled potatoes
• 1-2 eggs
• Breadcrumbs, as required
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Wash the potatoes, add to a pan, cover with water and boil till fork tender. Peel skin and mash with a fork – we are not looking for a perfect mash -a few chunky bits are fine, adds to the texture.
2. Add the fish fillets to a pan with the finely chopped onion, pepper, salt, turmeric, bay leaf and ½ cup of water. Let the fish steam gently; do not overcook; it needs to be moist and tender.  Gently transfer the fish into a dish and strain the stock, if any.  Add the broken bread pieces to this stock.  Alternatively, you could even add some breadcrumbs to the stock.
3. Flake the fish gently with a fork.
4. In a pan heat about 1-2 tbsps. of oil and sauté the onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic till onions are translucent. Then add all the spice powders and mix gently, do not let the spices burn.  Add the tomato sauce and mix to combine well.
5. Switch off the flame; add the lemon juice, coriander leaves, soaked bread, fish and the mashed potatoes and mix gently till well combined. Leave aside to cool.
6. Make round balls of the mixture and form into cutlets; dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Once all the cutlets are formed, keep them covered in the fridge for about half an hour for the breadcrumbs to settle and for the flavours to infuse and the cutlets to firm up.
7. Heat oil for shallow frying. Fry cutlets in small batches without overcrowding the pan.
8. Remove the cutlets onto paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
9. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes:

• You can use any fish including mackerel. If using a whole fish, you would need to remove the bones etc and then flake.  I have used Hoki which is a delicate, slightly sweet, flaky fish available in New Zealand, Australia and around the Tasman.  It belongs to the hake family.
• You could even keep them as balls and deep fry
• You could replace the spice powders with a ground paste.
• Curry leaves could be an alternative to bay leaves when boiling/steaming the fish.
• If using frozen fish, thaw well, apply some salt, turmeric and vinegar, set aside for about 20 mins, wash well and then steam.

 

 

 

 

LAMB’S LIVER FRY (BHUNA KALEJI)

Liver is quite a favourite with hubby and I; however, since my kids don’t eat liver at all, I end up making small portions.  Strange as it may seem, I loved offal even as a child – it was probably the way my mum cooked offal – always delicious; none of that smelly / grainy stuff.  We always cooked beef liver at home.

It was only after I came to New Zealand that I came across Lamb’s Fry (lamb liver is so called in this part of the world).  Traditionally it would be made with caramelized onions, bacon, balsamic vinegar, some cream of sorts.   However, I was craving something spicy to accompany Jeera Rice so ended up making Bhuna Kaleji.

Liver needs to be cooked just right, should not be overcooked else it goes all grey and rubbery.  This dish can be served as a side dish with rice, chapatti, naans or even as a starter. Do not be daunted by the list of the ingredients.   If you like offal, then this dish is worth the effort; do give it a try.

Ingredients:

1 lb lamb liver

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. chilli powder

2 tbsp. oil + 2 tbsp. ghee

10 peppercorns

6 cloves

2 black cardamom

1-inch stick cinnamon

1-2 bay leaves

1 large onion sliced or chopped fine

1 heaped tbsp. ginger garlic paste

½ tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. chilli powder

1 tbsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. roasted jeera powder

2 tomatoes chopped fine

2-3 green chillies slit

¼ cup yoghurt, whipped well

1 small piece of ginger julienned

1 tsp. garam masala powder

1 tbsp. kasuri methi

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

Lemon slices

Method:

1. Peel the thin skin off the liver. Trim the liver of any tissues or membranes.
2. Wash the liver, chop into medium bite size pieces (see note)
3. Add ½ tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp chilli powder to the turmeric pieces and set aside for about 20 minutes.
4. In a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp. of oil and add the liver. Toss around on high flame and remove aside after a couple of minutes, this is just to sear the liver, it should be pink and moist inside.
5. In the same pan add the balance oil and the ghee. Sauté the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves.
6. Next add the onion and sauté till golden brown (do not burn). When nearly done, add the ginger/garlic paste and continue to cook till the raw smell of the ginger/garlic paste disappears.
7. Now add the turmeric, chilli, coriander and jeera powders and sauté for about 30 seconds followed by the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down and the mixture is mushy.
8. Add the whipped yoghurt, green chillies and ginger and continue to cook covered until most of the moisture evaporates and releases the oils.
9. At this stage add the liver, garam masala and kasuri methi and cook for a few minutes tossing gently till the liver is well coated in the masala paste.
10. Finally switch off the flame, add the coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice and mix well.
11. Enjoy.

Note:

• I like to soak the liver in milk for about 15-20 minutes to remove any impurities and strong flavours. I then wash and drain in a colander. Alternatively, you can also add some wheat flour and rub the pieces of liver and set aside; then wash the liver well and leave to drain.
• You could skip step 4, if required.
• Do not over-cook the liver.
• This dish tastes delicious when made on a tawa like the street food in Mumbai.

CHICKEN LIVER JEEREM MEEREM

Jeerem Meerem is a versatile spice blend, goes well with meat, vegetables, fish and eggs.  It literally translates to Cumin and Pepper.  It is a blend of a few basic spices like pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric and a wee pinch of (red chilli powder, clove powder and cinnamon powder which are optional). I have started using this blend of spice only after my last trip to Goa.   One of the ladies in the shop at the Mapusa market recommended it and also recommended the Mario brand.

Chicken Liver is quite a favorite with hubby and I; however, since my kids don’t eat liver at all, I end up making a small portion.

Recently, whilst deciding what to do with the chicken liver I spotted the jeerem meerem powder in the freezer; thought I’d give it a try with liver and I must say that I was quite happy with the result.

Ingredients:

350 gms. of chicken liver

1 tsp ginger/garlic paste

1 tbsp. jeerem meerem powder

1 green chilli, slit

2-3 medium sized red onions sliced (not very fine)

3-4 flakes of garlic, sliced

1” piece of ginger, julienned

2 capsicums sliced (not very fine – I like to use 2 colours)

Salt to taste

1 to 1-1/2 tsp. goa vinegar / malt vinegar

¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped

2-3 tbsp. oil (I used coconut)

Method:

1. Trim the livers of any membranes, veins or connective tissues.
2. Wash the liver and let it drain in a colander. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel and then cut into halves or medium size pieces.
3. Marinate the liver with salt, ginger/garlic paste and the jeerem meerem spice powder.   Let it marinate for at least an hour.
4. In a non-stick pan (preferably), add a tbsp. of oil.  Add the liver, cook on both sides on medium to high heat.  Do not overcook the liver; it should be moist in the middle. Once cooked, remove the liver from the pan and keep aside.
5. In the same pan add the remaining oil and sauté the green chilli, ginger/garlic and onions till nicely browned, then add the capsicums and the vinegar and continue cooking for a few more minutes.  Add salt to taste. The vinegar helps in deglazing the pan as well.
6. Next add the liver together with the pan juices, if any and toss gently with the onion mixture. Keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
7. Finish the dish with chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve as a side dish or a starter.

Note:

• I like to soak the  liver in milk for about 15-20 minutes to remove any impurities and strong flavours. I then wash and drain in a colander.

YUMMY PRAWN CHILLI FRY

Prawn Chilli has to be one of my favourite preparations by far.  My mum used to prepare this dish in a couple of ways.  We normally had this on a Friday since it was a meatless day.    Prawn Chilli fry is a dish that is very common to the catholic households – be it Mangalorean, Goan, East Indian or Anglo Indian.   The preparation may vary slightly but the basic ingredients would remain the same.

This particular preparation makes me feel very nostalgic.   After marriage I had moved to Goa for about 10 months before moving to Dubai.   We had these wonderful neighbors who were our dear friends.   Uncle Tellis was a fisherman.  He had no daughters and he grew very fond of me and me of him.   He reminded me so much of my dad who I lost at a very young age.     Unfortunately, since I didn’t quite know the language (I tried to get by with a combination of my broken mangy Konkani, Hindi and Marathi) I wasn’t able to carry on lengthy conversations with aunty and uncle but hubby dear acted as our interpreter.   Aunty is a cook par excellence and I owe her a lot for helping me thru Goan dish preparations.

I still remember so vividly that Monday morning when we heard a knock on the front door.   Uncle Tellis was standing outside with a covered basket which he dropped into my hands with a soft “yeh tukaa” and left.   I was all dressed in my starched cotton saree ready to go to work.   When I opened the basket, to my delight, it was filled with freshly caught prawns jumping out of the basket.   It was such a novelty for me because in Bombay, I have never had the opportunity to see live prawns.   It was raining prawns that morning!!! .  No complaints there!!!!

I couldn’t let those beauties go into the fridge.   After a quick call to SBI Mapusa Branch applying for casual leave, I set about planning a seafood menu.  Hubby and I had to first go thru the mammoth task of cleaning the prawns; we managed to get thru these after a couple of hours; phew.  One of the preparations I made that day was the below.  I didn’t want to add too much of spices given the freshness and sweetness of the prawns.  It was a day well spent.

Ingredients:

1 lb medium size prawns – cleaned, deveined, washed and drained

¼ tsp pepper powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp malt or goa vinegar or lemon juice

2 tbsp. coconut oil or any cooking oil

3 large onions, chopped

4 fat flakes of garlic, cut fine

1” piece ginger, cut fine

2-3 green chillies, slit

4 kokam/solam

¼ tsp pepper powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp garam masala powder

1 small red capsicum (optional)

Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar

A squeeze of lemon

3-4 tbsp. of chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1. Shell, devein, wash and drain the prawns. Marinate the prawns with salt, pepper, turmeric and vinegar or lemon juice for about 20 minutes.
2. In a cooking pot (I used my clay pot) or large skillet, add 2 tbsp. of oil. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.  Add the chillies and the kokum and sauté for a couple of minutes more.
3. Next add the pepper and turmeric powder and stir well to combine.
4. Add the marinated prawns and stir fry on medium to high heat till the prawn are cooked. Do not overcook the prawns else they will get rubbery.  Add the capsicum at this stage.
5. Add the sugar and the garam masala and mix well. Taste for seasoning.
6. Remove from flame, squeeze a wee bit of lemon juice and mix in the chopped coriander leaves
7. Serve with chapattis or rice/dhal. I served it with lemon rice.  It was the perfect combination.

SHARK FISH CUTLETS

Yesterday I had this strong craving for a simple home cooked meal. With the elections on and the voting spread out over 2 weeks, we decided to finish voting this Sunday.  I took the opportunity to get my daughter to drive me to the local fish shop. I spent the afternoon doing a big cook up and we had a lovely dinner of rice/fish curry/fried fish/shark fish cutlets (we use lemon fish – rig shark)/spinach vegetable and papads – feeling very satisfied after that lovely meal.

Cutlets are a constant at our place.  I love making cutlets and can turn quite a few things into cutlets – vegetables, tuna, meats, potatoes and the most recent being leftover rice.   When I saw the fresh lemon fish in the shop I knew I had to make these cutlets.  I love the texture/chunkiness from using shark meat.   Additional bonus is not having to pick out the bones from the fish.

My mum makes delicious shark fish cutlets, I haven’t had these in decades.   I must say that these turned out really good.  These cutlets can be served as a snack or appetizer or a side-dish.   It also make for a good filling for a sandwich – apply some tartare sauce / ketchup on the bread slices, add some lettuce and then the cutlets.

Ingredients:

½ kg. Shark fish fillets

Salt to taste

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

4 peppercorns

1 tsp malt vinegar

1 bay leaf or a few curry leaves (optional)

½ to 1 cup of water

1 tbsp. oil

1 onion chopped fine

2 green chillies, chopped fine

3 big flakes of garlic, chopped fine

1 small piece of ginger, chopped fine

½ tsp. coriander powder

1/2 tsp. pepper powder

½ tsp. cumin powder

¾ to 1 tsp. chilli powder

A squeeze of lemon juice

1 slice of bread, edges trimmed, lightly soaked in a bit of the cooking liquid

2-3 tbsp. of finely chopped coriander leaves

A few mint leaves, finely chopped (optional)

2 eggs beaten with 1 tbsp. of water

Breadcrumbs

Oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Wash the fish, apply salt, turmeric powder and vinegar and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. In a cooking pot, add the fish along with the pepper, bay leaf/curry leaves and water, the water should just be enough to surround the fish.
3. Cook until the fish is tender i.e. around 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Keep turning the fish gently so that it gets cooked right through.
4. Remove the fish from the pot and allow to cool. Reserve the cooking liquid.
5. Mash the fish coarsely with a fork.
6. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp. of oil. Add the onions, green chilli, ginger and garlic until the onions are well browned.  Then add the spice powders.  Sauté for about a minute making sure the spices do not burn. Add salt to taste.
7. Make small pieces of the bread slice and add a wee bit of the cooking liquid to moisten the bread. The bread shouldn’t be soaking wet in the liquid.
8. Switch off the heat and add the bread, lemon juice, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Allow to cool.
9. Add the onion mixture to the mashed fish. Check for seasoning.
10. Form the cutlets. Fish cutlets are normally formed into an oval/elongated shape to differentiate from meat cutlets which are traditionally round in shape.
11. Keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. This makes it easy to coat the cutlets in the egg and breadcrumbs without breaking.
12. Remove from the fridge, dip in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs and fry till golden in color.

Note:

• Additional of the bay leaf/curry leaves helps to remove any strong fish smell when boiling the fish
• The soaked slice of bread helps to keep the mixture moist
• Fry the cutlets on medium to high heat. Since all the ingredients are cooked, you don’t need to fry the cutlets for very long.
• You can also add the onions and spices to the mashed fish without frying them first. The uncooked onions etc. gives a crunchier texture.
• Yield = 16 cutlets

GOAN BEEF CROQUETTES

Croquettes are quintessentially a Goan delicacy.  When you think of popular Goan food, croquettes would surely come up tops on the list.    They are a popular food in every Goan catholic home and no feast day or celebration would be complete without these. These are readily available in most authentic goan restaurants, eateries and bakeries.

My first taste of these delicious snacks were at Café St Xavier’s in Mapusa.   I was newly married and had just moved to Goa.  I still remember going there with my husband on a Friday market day.   The place was bustling with people and filled with a cacophony of sound.   We finally managed to get a place to sit down.  Then the waiter followed with snack plates filled with assorted patties, samosas, croquettes etc.  I was so fascinated by this.  Even more fascinating was the billing system – I had never come across something like this in Bombay.   My hubby explained that they bill you by what’s left in the plate.  Of course, I had no complaints, I practically devoured these little delicacies.  I then checked out the recipe with my aunt in law who is a very good cook.  Back home I was so used to my mum making wonderful beef cutlets – they would either be the kebab style with raw mince or the normal cooked variety with a bit of potato mashed into it.  The croquettes were an absolute novelty for me.

Croquettes are made from a mildly spiced mixture of cooked and ground mince, onion, spices.  These are then rolled into cylindrical shapes, rolled in semolina and fried.  The end result is a croquette which is crispy on the outside and soft inside.  These make for a good starter/appetizer.  They can also be had as a light snack with a side of potatoes and salad or even used for sandwiches or wraps.  These freeze well so you can make a big batch and freeze them.  If frozen, then thaw in fridge before frying.

Do give these a try.

Ingredients:

½ kg lean mince

8-10  peppercorns, crushed

4  cloves

1” cinnamon

4-6 large garlic cloves

1/2” ginger

3 green chillies

1 kashmiri chilli

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 big onion, chopped

½ cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice

2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

2 slices of bread, crust removed and broken into pieces (see notes)

1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. of water

½ cup rava (semolina) for crumbing the croquettes

Oil for frying

Method:

1. In a cooking pot, mix all the ingredients from mince to salt and cook on a medium flame till meat is cooked and  the moisture is absorbed.
2. When nearly done, add the vinegar or lemon juice and the bread pieces. The bread pieces will help soak the moisture and also help with the binding.
3. Switch of the flame and add the coriander leaves.  Check for seasoning. Allow to cool.
4. Next grind the meat mixture in your food processor until it forms a paste. I add the egg when grinding.  (See notes)
5. Empty the mixture into a bowl and keep it covered in the fridge for about ½ an hour to firm up.
6. Make round balls of the mixture.
7. Add rava to a plate or cutting board. Roll the balls in rava and form into cylindrical rolls.  Make sure the rolls are well coated with the rava.
8. Remove these on to a plate and keep in the fridge for about 15 minutes or so before frying.
9. Pan fry / deep fry these croquettes on a medium to hot flame.
10. Enjoy

Notes:

• The mince shouldn’t be fatty.
• I had to grind this in two batches. I divided the egg mixture into 2 portions and added to each batch.  Alternatively, you could even dip the croquettes in beaten egg and then roll in rava but I find this way easier and less messy.
• You could add the egg and the bread soaked in water and squeezed out to the mince mixture after it has been ground.
• As much as I hate deep frying stuff, I believe deep frying the croquettes are a better option provided the oil is at the right temperature. I fried about 3 to 4 at a time, gently placing them in the oil with a slotted spoon.  They cook very fast and evenly.  You just need to brown/crisp up the outside.  All the ingredients are already cooked.
• If pan frying, make sure to keep turning them gently in the pan making sure not to break them.
• Above quantity yielded about 28 croquettes.

 

SPICY PRAWNS WITH CASHEW CREAM

This recipe came about as part of a food group challenge.  I belong to a wonderful Food Group on Facebook called “Traditional Goan Foodies”.  This is such a lovely group – wonderful people, lovely recipes – a perfect platform to exchange recipes, bounce food ideas and learn and share knowledge about traditional Goan food.

To commemorate the Group’s 2^nd birthday David D’souza put out a challenge to come up with a goan/goan fusion dish incorporating 5 ingredients viz. red chillies, spinach, cashew nuts, goa jaggery and mango.  You could use any protein of your choice and any other ingredients.  It was quite an interesting and challenging feat – needed to put on my thinking cap.

I was quite pleased with the end result of the below dish.

Ingredients:

6-8 medium sized spinach leaves cut fine

1 lb prawns cleaned, deveined and butterflied (I used about 40 medium size prawns with tails on)

Oil for deep frying spinach

Crumbing mixture of rice flour and desiccated coconut

Marinade for Prawns:

3 Kashmiri chillies

8 cashew nuts soaked

1 tsp ginger/garlic paste

¼ tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp. of finely chopped green mango

1 to 1-1/2 tsp. goa jaggery, grated

Salt to taste

1 tsp oil

A squeeze of lemon

¾ tsp of cashew feni (optional)

Cashew Cream:

1 cup un-roasted shelled cashew nuts (keep 8 aside for prawn marinade)

¼ milk

½ veg stock cube

A big pinch of nutmeg

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 small garlic clove

Method:

1. Soak the cashew nuts in warm water overnight.
2. To make the cashew cream: Warm ¼ cup of milk and dissolve the stock cube.  Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool. In a mixer, add the soaked cashew nuts, garlic and the infused milk.  Blend till it is smooth and creamy.  Add more milk or water to bring it to the desired consistency.    Empty into a bowl, cover and keep aside.
3. Marinate the prepared prawns and keep aside for ½ an hour.
4. Crumb the prawns and keep aside.
5. When ready to serve, heat up the oil in a small pan. Add the shredded spinach leaves and deep fry.  Do not let it burn.  I do it in batches.  Strain and empty onto some kitchen paper to drain.  Sprinkle a wee bit of salt when warm.
6. Take a frying pan/skillet. Add a bit of the oil.  Fry the prawns until just done, do not overcook.
7. Serve the prawns on a bed of fried spinach and accompanied by cashew cream.
8. Enjoy.

Notes:

• Keep the spinach strips long, do not chop fine. I place all the leaves one on top of the other, roll them together and then cut into strips.
• You can use your choice of ingredients for the crumbing of the prawns viz. semolina, breadcrumbs or even just rice flour.

 

KISMUR (DRIED SHRIMP SALAD)

We have recently returned from a wonderful holiday spent in India with family and friends in Mumbai and Goa. We had a wonderful time in Goa; where besides spending time with family and friends, a major highlight undoubtedly was THE FOOD AND MORE FOOD.  We just couldn’t seem to get enough:)

Goa is famous for its cuisine especially the seafood delicacies. Hmmm, what do I say about the food!!!  I am absolutely drooling just thinking about all the seafood we ate.  Whilst hubby and the kids gorged on the fried chonak, rava fried fresh bombil and masala/rava fried mussels with a side of French fries and salad, I had my daily lunchtime fix of the very humble yet delicious fish thali. The dish that was a prominent feature in each and every thali was the dry shrimp kismur – absolutely delicious.

Kismur is a traditional goan dish – a dry shrimp/fish salad of sorts made with very few ingredients. The staple diet of the goans is xitt kodi (rice curry) and fish.  In the monsoons, when deep fishing is difficult/restricted and fresh fish is hard to come by, they would resort to eating dried fish/prawns which are sun-dried during the summer months and stored away; literally for a rainy day.  The kismur can be made with prawns (sungata) or shrimp (galmo or jawala as it is called in Marathi).   It is also made with dried fish like bombil, shark, kingfish etc.   My personal preference has to be the kismur made with dried shrimp.

Hubby and me have been feeling very nostalgic so the cure I have come up with is to re-create over a period of time the dishes we ate in Goa. Last Sunday’s lunch was a simple fare of rice with sorak and a side of kismur with raw mango water pickle.  Yummy.  Do try this simple and tasty dish.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried shrimps (galmo)

1 onion chopped fine

1 cup grated fresh coconut

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

1 green chilli chopped fine

1 tsp. chilli powder

Small ball of tamarind, soaked in a bit of warm water

1 tbsp. coconut oil

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

Lemon wedges to serve

Method:

1. Sieve the shrimp to get rid of any sand or any residues. Heat a non-stick pan and fry the shrimp in 1 tbsp. of coconut oil till nice and crisp. It will give a nice roasted aroma. Do not burn.
2. Set aside in a plate.
3. In a mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients from coconut to the tamarind and lightly crush with your hands so that it is all well amalgamated and leave for flavours to infuse.
4. Just before serving add the onions and the roasted shrimp. Toss gently and garnish with coriander leaves.
5. Taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt and sourness (you could add some lemon juice or a dash of vinegar).
6. Serve right away. Perfect accompaniment to rice/sorak, rice/dhal or even rice/vegetable curry.

Notes:

• Make sure that the shrimp is well cleaned. If using dried prawns, break off the head, legs and tail. Wash and drain before frying. You might need to cut the prawns in two pieces.

• Do not skip out the coconut oil. The coconut oil gives the wonderful flavours.

• Mix the onions and shrimp just before serving so as to retain the crispiness and freshness of the salad.

• If you do not like raw onion, then lightly sauté in some oil; raw onions recommended.

• Auckland readers: Serandib on Dominion Road has very good dried shrimps sold in plastic bottles.