MACKEREL BAFATH

Mackerels are available in plenty in Mangalore throughout the year. But those which are caught after the monsoon season are tastier.

To prepare the Mackerel bafath:

• 10 fresh Mackerels, cleaned and cut into two pieces

Ingredients for the masala:

• 8 Kashmiri or dried chillies
• 1 ½ tspns coriander seeds
• ½ tspn cumin seeds
• 1 tspn pepper corn
• 1 tspn fenugrek seeds, roasted on a tawa
• ½ tspn turmeric powder
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 marble sized tamarind
• 3-4 sol (dried)
• 1 onion
• 4 flakes garlic
• Grind all the above to a smooth paste.

• For slicing:

• 1 onion
• 2 green chillies
• 1” piece ginger
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Mix the ground masala with the masala water and the sliced onion, green chillies and ginger.
• The gravy should be of flowing consistency.
• Add salt to taste.
  
• Boil the curry and cook the sliced ingredients for five minutes.
• Add the mackerel pieces and allow it to simmer for a while.

Sumptuous Mangalorean Bangude/Mackerel curry is ready to be served.

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MANGY MUTTON CURRY

Mangy or Mangalorean Mutton curry is a common delicacy included in the menu list of all celebrations. The mutton curry can be prepared in various ways. This particular delicacy is coconut based and prepared by roasting the spices before grinding to a paste.

TO PREPARE THE MANGY MUTTON CURRY:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Mutton, cut into smaller pieces, washed and pressure cooked.
• Add 1 tspn salt while cooking.
• 1 pkt (200 gms) button mushroom
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For the Masala:

• 2 tspns coriander seeds
• 1 tspn cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8 dried chillies (Kashmiri)
  
• 1 tspn pepper grains
• 4 pcs cloves
• 1” pc cinnamon
• 1 tspn poppy seeds
• 1/2 tspn turmeric
  
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 onion cut
• 5 garlic flakes
• 1 tbspn tamarind paste
• Salt to taste

For the tempering:

• 1 tbspn olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
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Method:

• Roast on a tawa/pan all the above ingredients except tamarind.
• Roast the onion, garlic and coconut using a teaspoon of cooking oil
  
• Grind all the ingredients with tamarind to a smooth paste using water.
• Heat a vessel and dispense the olive oil in it.
• Saute the onion until slightly brown.
• Transfer the ground masala to the vessel and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• The gravy must be slightly thicker but flowing consistency.
• Bring it to a good boil.
• Now add the cooked mutton, add salt if required
• Simmer on low fire.
• Add cleaned fresh mushrooms to the curry.

Delicious mutton curry is ready to be served with Sannas or Idlis.

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SQUIDS SPECIAL

Squids belong to the family of Octopus and cuttlefish.

Squids are soft, boneless and without scales. Care should be taken when cleaning the squid. If the ink sack is burst, buckets of water is required to clean it. The meat is sweetish, however contains lot of calories and fat. But its rich in proteins and many other nutrients. Occasionally consuming this delicacy won't do any harm.

To prepare the Squids Special:

Ingredients:

2 cups Squid - cleaned, cut into 1” piece

1 cup chopped onion

2 green chillies chopped

1” piece ginger chopped

6 flakes garlic chopped

2 tbspn olive oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbspn soya sauce

1 1/2 tspn tamarind paste

1 tbspn bafath powder

½ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a vessel.
• Drop the curry leaves and garlic saute for a while.

• Add chopped onion, chillies and ginger, fry until translucent.

• Blend in bafath powder and turmeric powder and salt.

• Add to it tamarind pulp and soya sauce and mix well.

• Finally add the squid pieces.

Keep on stirring. Cook well until soft.

Garnish with curry leaves.

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Tip: Do not add water, as water comes out of the squids when cooking.

PEACH SOUFFLE

The word soufflé is the French verb souffler which means "to blow up" or more loosely "puff up", an apt description to this combination of peach puree and fresh cream. Souffle can be prepared in different ways with egg whites and yolks, custard, different types of fruits. I have tried to combine the puree of tinned peach halves, fresh cream and jelly powder with the gelatin. Its fast and requires only refrigeration.




To Prepare the Peach Souffle:

Ingredients:

500 gm tin of peach halves
300 ml fresh cream
2 pkts peach/lemon jelly powder with gelatin.

Set aside few halves for decoration.


Method:

Make a puree of peach halves using the blender.
Add the jelly power with the gelatin.
Blend at a slower speed to form a paste of smooth consistency.
Add the fresh cream and mix gently.

Pour it to a Dessert bowl and refrigerate til it sets.

Decorate with peach halves set aside.

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BEEF CHOPS

After a long time I thought of cooking Beef Chops. Now a days, we avoid the red meat and opt for white meat. I tried to recollect the recipe and prepared this Beef chops, which turned really delicious.

To prepare the Beef Chops:

Ingredients:

½ kg beef chops

For the Masala:

• 2 Red chillies
• 4 Green chillies
• 2” piece ginger
• 1 ½ tspn cumin seeds
• 1 tspn pepper corns
• ½ tspn turmeric powder
• 1/3 tspn tamarind paste
• 2 Cardamom seeds
• 5 cloves
• 1” piece cinnamon
• 2 large onions
• 5 flakes garlic
• 1/2 bunch of coriander leaves

Grind all these together

For slicing:

• 1 large onion
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tspns olive oil

• Salt to taste

Method:

• Pressure cook the meat until tender adding little water and salt.
• Heat a kadai and dispense the olive oil in it.
• Add the sliced onion and saute until translucent.
• Tip in the sliced tomatoes and cook for five minutes.
• Add the finely ground masala to it and fry on a medium to low flame,
• Until the oil separates from the masala.
• Add salt to taste.
• Pour the masala water. The gravy should be thick. Bring it to a boil.
• Blend in the cooked beef chops and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.

Delicious beef roast ready to be served with chapatis or rotis.

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BRAHMI / KARYANO / TIMARE CHUTNEY

Brahmi or Timare or Karyano is the small creeping herb. It grows to a height of 2 -3 feet and its branches are 10 -35 cm long. It has round shaped leaves that are 1-2 cm long and 3- 8 mm broad. Roots emerge out of the nodules and directly go to the soil.

Brahmi is considered as the main rejuvenating herb for the nerve and brain cells. It is rich in Vitamin C and can be used in the salads, soups and sandwiches. Brahmi oil restores and preserves the memory.

The home grown Thimare or Brahmi leaves or karyano leaves are available in Mangalore throughout the year. It is given to infants & children as it is said to increase their memory power & intelligence level.

To prepare the Chutney:

- One bunch of thimare or karyano leaves with stems, cleaned and washed.
- 3 green chillies
- 3/4 cup grated fresh coconut
- 1" pc ginger
- 1/3 marble sized tamarind paste
- 1/4 cup cooked rice
- Salt to taste

For the Seasoning:

• Mustard seeds
• Olive oil 1 tspn

Method:

1. Grind all the above to a fine
paste.
2. Temper with oil and mustard
seeds and bring it to a boil.

The chutney tastes yummy if eaten with konji or with rice and even with the roti.

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YELLOW CUCUMBER / MOGE OR SOUTHE CHUTNEY

I learnt this recipe from my Dear Mother, who is no more. Needless to say that I remember her in a special way when I present this on my Blog.

Yellow cucumbers are extensively grown in the coastal area, and are available throughout the year. The moge or southe as its popularly called in the coastal town, is somewhat similar to cucumber. However this vegetable is allowed to ripe and then hung on the ceilings to preserve and use it later.

To Prepare the Chutney:

Ingredients:

1. 1 small ripe yellow cucumber, Skin peeled,pith removed and cut into small pieces.
2. 3 dried red chillies,
3. 3/4 cup grated coconut
4. 1 tspn. mustard seeds
   
5. 1/2 tspn tamarind pulp
6. Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

1 tspn olive oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

• Grind together all the 6 ingredients
• in a blender, without adding water).
• Grind to a fine paste.
• Heat a kadai and pour the oil in it.
• When slightly hot add the curry leaves and saute for a while.
• When the oil is hot, tip in mustard seeds, allow to splutter.
• As the spluttering stops add the ground paste. Stir well.
• Allow to boil on a medium fire.

Delicious chutney is ready to be served with boiled rice and a side dish of fried sardins.

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SPIDER PLANT

The Spider Plant is probably the best all-around air cleaning plant for most toxins. This plant tops at removing Carbon monoxide from the air. Testing has shown that the Spider Plant removes over 96% of this potentially deadly gas.




The plant should be placed in a room that contains a stove or fireplace where the possibility of carbon monoxide may be present even at a low non-toxic level.

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BAFATH POWDER

Bafath powder is a masala powder very popular in Mangalore. This powder is used as a base for fish or meat marinade or curries. Readily prepared Bafath Powder is available in stores in Mangalore and in many other places. The powder can be stored for nearly six months or more in air-tight containers.

To Prepare the Bafath Powder:

Ingredients:

1. Long chillies : 650 gms
2. Short chillies : 125 gms
3. Coriander seeds : 60 gms
4. Cumin seeds : 2 ½ tbspn
   
5. Mustard : 1 tbspn
6. Pepper : 1 tbspn
7. Turmeric : 1 tbspn
8. Cloves & Cinnamon : 1 1/2 tspn

Method:

• Dry the above ingredients in the sun for 2 – 3 days
• Powder all the above ingredients until smooth and fine.
• Store in air-tight containers.
• Refrigerate if for a longer period.

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