Gherkin/ Ivy Gourd (tendli) Pickle

50 gherkins*
2 tsps salt
1/2 cup oil
 40-50  kashmiri chillies
30 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup vinegar
1  tbsp turmeric
5-7 tbsps palm sugar/ jaggery
1 tbsp mustard seeds

Method:
Cut gherkins into quarters, add salt and leave in the sun for an hour. Drain any water that might collect and wipe dry. Grind all the spices except mustard seeds and curry leaves using vinegar, to a fine paste. Heat oil in a large pan add the mustard seeds and curry leaves,  then add the spice paste and fry the spice paste over low heat till the ground spices are well cooked. Stir in palm sugar and add the gherkins, cook till just tender. Do not overcook. If necessary add more sugar, salt and vinegar according to your taste. Cool and bottle in sterilized jars. This pickle is now ready to serve but its flavor improves in a couple of days.

*Gherkins may be substituted with 4 cups diced aubergines/brinjals to make a delicious brinjal pickle instead.

 

Savory Cake- with the flavours of Goa

This classic French recipe gets its Goan touch from the coconut oil used. Unrefined cold pressed coconut oil has traditionally been used in goan cooking and adding it here gives this cake that nostalgic coconut aroma and moreish flavor quintessential to the authentic goan kitchen.

 

Ingredients

250g Maida

1 tbsp baking powder

3 large eggs

125 ml coconut oil***

150 ml milk +1 tblsp lime juice

 salt for seasoning

2 tsps  freshly ground black pepper

3 tblsps finely chopped curry leaves or coriander

150 gms paneer/cheese, diced

100 gms  chicken sausage / chorico*, diced

100 gms carrot, finely grated

1 stock cube, crumbled**

Sesame seeds for crunch

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a round 9 inch cake tin with baking paper. In a bowl, mix together the maida, baking powder, veggies, herbs and sausages. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy and pale in colour. Then gradually whisk in the stock cube, oil and milk mixed with lime juice. Season with the salt and pepper. Fold the flour mixture into the whisked liquid. Try not to over mix to avoid the cake getting tough. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature with a glass of chilled beer.

*For a vegetarian version substitute sausage with fresh peas or diced sautéed mushrooms

** A tablespoon or so of some balchao or cafreal masala that you have at hand is a flavorsome substitute for the stock cube and a means to vary the flavor profile of your savory cake.

*** You may substitute coconut oil with a vegetable oil or even melted butter if its hard to find.

Goan Caldeen Curry

Ingredients

6 king fish fillets, substitute kingfish with Pomfret, large prawns or even chicken thighs or drumsticks

1 large coconut, grated              
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp turmeric powder
5-6 pepper corns
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
6 garlic flakes
1 tsp rice
Marble sized ball of tamarind
4 green chillies
2 tsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, sliced
2 green chillies, lengthwise
Salt to taste.

Method

Marinate the fish/chicken with some salt. Grind the grated coconut some water and extract about a cup of thick juice. Keep aside. To the ground coconut, add the other ingredients i.e. green chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric,garlic, raw rice, tamarind and grind with a little more water and extract the thin juice, strain and keep aside.

In a pan, add a little oil, fry the onion and tomato, and to this add the peppercorns, thin coconut milk and the split green chillies. Bring it to a boil, add the fish/ chicken, cook till fish/chicken is done and add the thick coconut milk, taste for seasoning and take off the flame after five minutes. Serve this delicious fish/chicken Caldeen Curry with some steaming hot rice.

Nankhatai

These melt in your mouth vegan shortbread style cookies have a lovely hint of cardamom that makes it go down smooth with some nice hot Chai. Judging by its name, this common Christmas cookie here in Goa probably has some has some Persian roots with variations of this biscuit being made throughout India and even Pakistan.

Ingredients

100 g Sugar, finely ground
125 g Dalda Ghee (Hydrogenated Vegetable fat)
140 g Maida
1 tsp ground cardamom seeds/ vanilla extract

1 pinch salt        

1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder. Cream the sugar and ghee, mix in the flour mixture well adding one third at a time. Mix in the cardamom/ vanilla and knead well. Make about 25 smooth round slightly flat balls, place on a greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for between 10-15 minutes. The nankhatai are done when still pale white and slightly firm to touch.
Place on a wired rack to cool and then store in an airtight container.

Goan Patties/Puffs

This savory snack can be found at every corner store and bakery, it is basically a pocket of puff pastry with fillings of mince, prawns, potatoes and peas, egg and even the more non-traditional cheese. Best had warm from the oven with a cup of chai, they are a perfect anytime snack. The extra time and effort you put in into making these puffs is directly proportionate to the compliments you will get on making these little pockets of savory goodness at home, I promise.

When I was first learning to bake, I thought mastering the art of puff pastry was a rite of passage from a baking enthusiast to an expert. Here is a classic recipe if you want to take a shot at it.  Making this delicate, flaky pastry usually takes at least half a day, but the result—hundreds of puffed, crisp, and buttery layers—was, in my mind, the ultimate kitchen achievement.  Then I discovered that most bakers use a shortcut ‘rough puff pastry’ that takes only a fraction of the time to make. Though the results are not quite as spectacular in terms of height, rough puff pastry is just as irresistibly flaky, buttery, and tender as traditional puff pastry. You can use this recipe to make cheese straws,  cream horns, or as a crust for baked forminhas (tarts) or pies. I have used this easy recipe to make my Goan Puffs/Patties, if you are time starved or just couldn’t bother with the effort you could also use some readymade puff pastry.

For the Puff Filling

Choose from the following options. Make about 2 cups of filling as the recipe for puff pastry makes about 18 puffs/patties.

1. Beef/Chicken Mince cooked with onions, and some green Cafreal masala
2. Goan Sausages cooked with onions and potatoes
3. Shredded boneless chicken and grated cheese mixed with some thick béchamel sauce
4. Prawn  Chilly Fry
5. Boiled egg, halved, with salt and pepper
6. Cocktail sausages
7. Potato bhaji with peas

                                         

For the Rough Puff Pastry

This batch makes about 18 medium sized puffs

Ingredients

225 grams refined wheat flour (maida)
140 grams butter, chilled
120-150 ml ice cold water
1 teaspoon salt

Sift the flour and salt into the cold cubes of butter. Using a knife or fork cut the butter into cubes into the flour. Flatten any large chunks of butter with just your fingertips. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time to loosely bind the dough. Mix the dough with the fork until it just hangs together. Shape the messy, shaggy dough into a rough rectangle and roll it out until it's 1/2 inch thick. Resist the temptation to overwater or overwork the dough; it will eventually hold together.

Now, fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Don't worry if it folds in pieces. Turn the package of dough 90 degrees so the folds run vertically. Square off the edges of the dough as you work. Roll the dough into a rectangle that's 1/2 inch thick, always rolling from open end to open end. Continue rolling, folding, and turning until the dough looks smooth. By four or five "turns," the dough should hang together. Brush off excess flour as you fold. Wrap the dough and chill it for half an hour before giving it two final turns. At this point, you can then use the dough, though another short rest will make rolling and shaping easier.

Assembling the Puffs

Roll out dough into a one centimeter thick sheet; prick it with a fork lightly. Cut into approx. 16-18 rectangles or squares put a tablespoon of filling on one side of each piece and fold the other side over to cover the filling, Press down to ensure the sides adhere together. Place on a baking tray, brush some beaten egg/milk over the puffs, and bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes till done.

Chicken Cafreal

Ingredients

6 Chicken Drumsticks
2 Cups Chopped Coriander leaves
6 Green Chillies
½ Cup Chopped Mint leaves

1 Medium Onion, Chopped
12 big Garlic flakes

1 ¼ “piece Ginger

12 Black Pepper corns
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
2” Cinnamon stick
4 Cloves
½ teaspoon Mace
2 tablespoons Lime juice/Vinegar
30 ml feni (Optional)

Sugar to balance

Butter to shallow fry/baste
Salt to taste
 
Method

Clean the Chicken Drumstick thoroughly in water and pat dry.  Make gashes on the drumsticks to allow the marinade to get absorbed well. Make a smooth paste with all the ingredients except Butter. Apply this paste to the chicken, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. The lime juice/vinegar aids the tenderizing process and makes the chicken soft and tender. Remove from refrigerator and thaw before moving on to the next stage. In the Goan version, the chicken drumsticks are first cooked for about 20 minutes with the green spice paste and then shallow fried in butter for a crispy fried finish. I prefer to directly bake/grill the marinated chicken till done, and the juices run clear. Serve the Chicken Cafreal with a salad of your choice and some home fries.

Green Mango Squash (Aam Panna)

This  spicy  green mango squash recipe is sure to quench your thirst in the hot summer and is a healthy substitute for the sugary sweet drinks we generally consume to beat the heat that are laden with artificial flavours and preservatives.

Ingredients

2 Raw green mature mangoes, medium sized

3 cups water

½ cup Sugarcane Jaggery, grated

1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoon crushed roasted cumin

Black salt, to taste

A pinch hing (optional)

Mint, couple of sprigs

Method

In a large pot, add water and peeled green mangoes, boil until the mangoes become soft. Let the liquid  cool down and remove the mangoes. Mash the mangoes into pulp and take the seeds out. Blend the pulp with the leftover water and mint in a blender. Place the mixture in another pot and add rest of the ingredients, taste to ensure a balance of sour, salty, and sweet. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes and let the liquid cool and store it in a clean plastic bottle. To serve, take some of the squash mixture and mix it with cold water. Your thirst quenching green mango squash is now ready to serve. The squash needs to be stored in the fridge as it contains no artificial preservatives.