JACK"MUTTON" CURRY

 

 Whenever hubby craves for good mutton curry I tell my gardener to get some jackfruit and rustle up this jack "mutton" curry. :). Well I cook it the way mutton is cooked hence the name jack "mutton"curry and if I can satisfy the non -veg taste buds with pure vegetarian food then why not do it..

WE NEED

• Unripe Jackfruit 
• 2 bay leaves
• To be ground to a paste

1. 2 large onions
2. 4 cloves garlic
3. 1" piece of ginger
4. 6 dry red chillies

• to be ground to a dry powder

1. 1 star anise
2. 1 " stick of cinnamom
3. 2 cardamoms
4. a pinch of grated nutmeg
5. 2 cloves

• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 30 ml oil (I prefer mustard oil for this dish)

LETS GET GOING

1.  Peel and cut the jackfruit into small pieces (oil your hands well before peeling to avoid the latex from sticking to your hands)
2.  Marinate the jackfruit pieces with salt and turmeric and keep aside for half an hour. 
3. In a pressure cooker heat oil and fry the jackfruit pieces till brown and tender. Drain and keep aside. 
4. In the same oil add the bay leaves and the wet masala paste and cook till the masala separates from the oil.
5. Add the jackfruit pieces, salt and a pinch of sugar and mix well. 
6. Add two cups water and pressure cook for 5 whistles. 
7. Add the powdered masala and cover for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with rice or rotis. 

MUSHROOM 65

 Pecos is this no nonsense "we serve only beer" pub in Bangalore. Having scant interest in the pitchers of beer I was bowled over by the mushroom 65 they serve here. Its enough to make me overlook hubby happily guzzling a pitcher of beer. 

 WE NEED 

1. 250 grams fresh mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms) 
2. 10 fresh curry leaves
3. Tamarind juice
4. Salt to taste
5. 4 tbs oil
6. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
7. Masala Paste (to be ground)

• 1"ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 dry red chillies
• 1 tbs black pepper corns
• 1 tbs fennel seeds (sauf)

LETS GET GOING

1. Wash and chop the mushrooms finely
2. Mix the tamarind juice, masala paste  and curry leaves
3. Marinate the mushrooms in the masala/tamarind juice mix for 1 hour
4. Heat oil in a pan and sputter the mustard seeds and add the marinated mushrooms
5. Add salt and cook covered for 10 minutes on slow heat
6. Remove cover and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot with rice. 

FIERY WAYS TO MY MAN'S STOMACH

What would happen if you ate red hot fiery fish curry ???

Fishy fires in the stomach and well I need not elaborate more.  This is a version of  a typical kerala fish curry (the one without coconut) cooked in a clay pot also known as chatti. This ensures ample satisfaction (read happy grunts) for hubby when he simply craves for "punch wala food" (read unhealthy and spicy).

INGREDIENTS

250 grams Fish preferably sea fish ( I am literally at sea if you ask me the varieties, a pure vegetarian, fish is essentially divided into sea fish and river fish for me)

2 bulbs Garlic ground to a paste

1" piece Ginger ground to a paste

2 teaspoons red chilly powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 pinch asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds

5 peppercorns

5-6 pieces of garcinia/kokum (one can also use a small ball of tamarind) soaked in about 100ml water

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

METHOD

1. Clean the fish and keep it aside (I get mine cleaned and cut from the fishmonger itself)

2.  Heat oil in a pan (not the chatti) and add the asafoetida

3. Sputter the mustard and jeera seeds and curry leaves

4. Add the garlic paste and ginger paste and fry for five minutes over a low flame till the mixture browns

5. Add the peppercorns, turmeric, salt and chilly powder and stir.

6. Add the garcinia to the water in which it was soaked and mix well.

7. Add the water and bring to a boil.

8. Carefully arrange the fish in the chatti and add the cooked red gravy and cover the pot.

9. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

10. Serve with rice.

Gobi carfreal

I attended a party recently where the table was loaded with food or rather overloaded with some three to four varieties each of fish, chicken, prawn besides several other types of sea food. However I got little to eat besides rice, watery oversalted dal and salad. People just dont think vegetarian in Goa, I think only cows and goats are vegetarian here. Its another story that I had already anticipated the menu and eaten before leaving for the party. Everyone around were praising relishing and taking good second and thrid helpings of the chiken carfreal which got me interested. It looked and smelt good. Later I got lot of information about carfreal from Googleji . It had travelled to Goa via the Portuguese colonies in Africa and today any self respecting kitchen in Goa serves carfreal especially on special occasions. The carfreal is unique due to its minty flavour and long hours of marination. Here I have tried to recreate carfreal in its vegetarian avatar.
WE NEED

1 medium sized Cauliflower broken/cut into large sized florets

1 large sized bunch of mint leaves (about 50 grams in weight)

1" piece of ginger

5-6 large cloves of garlic

1 tsp garam masala powder

5-6 dry red chillies

1 tsp black peppercorns

juice of 1 lemon

3 tbs rum

Salt to taste

6 tbs of oil

LETS DO IT

1. Grind together the ginger, garlic, red chillies, mint leaves, peppercorns to a paste.

2. Mix in the garam masala powder, lime juice, salt and rum to the paste

3. Rub in the paste to the cauliflower, cover the vessel and let it marinate for a good 8 hours.

4. Heat oil in a kadai and add the marinated mixture.

5. Cover and cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.

6. Garnish with either steamed cauliflower/palak leaves and slit green chillies .

7. Serve with steamed rice or bread.

P.S. I made it later on with mushrooms which too turned out really good.

THIS ONE IS FOR VIR SANGHVI

Last night I was watching a matter of taste by Vir Sanghvi on Discovery travel and living....the segment was the evolution of Indian Chinese cuisine..well I guess this would then qualify as the Darjeeling edition of Indian Chinese cuisine... very पिरो chilly mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS

200gms fresh button mushrooms

1 medium sized capsicum/bell pepper(cut into large pieces)

1 large onion (cut into large pieces)

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 tomato (finely chopped)

2 tbs red chilly powder

1/2 cup cornflour

2tbs soy sauce

1 cup Oil

salt to taste

Finely chopped coriander leaves/spring onions

LETS DO IT

Wash the Mushrooms, pat them dry and toss them in cornflour and keep aside

Heat oil and deep fry the cornflour coated mushrooms till half done.

Heat 1 tsp oil in another pan and add the crushed garlic. Once the garlic turns brown add the onions and tomatoes and fry till onions become translucent. Add the salt and chilly powder and stir.

Add the bell peppers and the mushrooms .

Make a paste with 2 tbs cornflour and soy sauce. Add and stir well.

Add 1 cup water and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Put off the flame and keep covered on the stove for 10 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves/spring onions before serving.