GUAVA CHEESE

Guava Cheese is a delicacy which is prepared with the pulp of the ripe Guavas.   It’s a delightful addition to the Kuswar (Christmas sweets) and is loved by all.

Patience plays a major role in preparing this sweet and its rewarding too.  The total preparation time is more than 3 hours and has to be cooked on very slow flames for the best results.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Kilo Guava Pulp 
• (Makes about 5 cups of pulp)
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 Lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon Butter

Method:

Wash the Guavas and steam for about 20 minutes in a steamer.

When the guavas turn soft, cool them and slit in the middle to separate the seeds from the other fleshy parts.

The seeded portion must  be put in a sieve and pressed with a spoon to extract the pulp from it.  Blend  all the pulp together in a liquidiser, into a smooth puree using little water (say ½ cup).

Once the Puree is ready, pour it into a sieve or a muslin cloth inorder to filter out all the seed remains.

Transfer the pulp to a vessel with a heavy bottom (I used the pressure cooker vessel) add the sugar to it.  Place it on the stove on a low flame and keep stirring.

Initially stir every 5 minutes.  Once it gets thickened, it should be stirred more frequently, so that the pulp does not get stuck to the bottom of the vessel.

Add the lime juice half way through and keep stirring.

The colour of the pulp turns to orange red.

Keep stirring until it gets the dark red colour that you can see in the image below.

It takes nearly 3 hours until the mixture turns thicker and start leaving the edges of the vessel.

Grease a square/rectangular (8 or 10 inches tray) and pour the thick mixture into it.

Spread it evenly.  It will be two hours when it cools down and ready to cut into pieces of one’s choice.

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MARZIPAN CHRISTMAS SWEETS

Marzipan is a confectionery with a strong but pleasing almond flavour and aroma, consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond paste, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are marzipan-filled chocolates and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It is also rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes, primarily birthday cakes and Christmas cakes.

I have tried this after many years and I am quite pleased with the outcome, though it was a bit hectic.  Once the marzipan mix is prepared, forming into different shapes either by using rubber moulds or by hand can be done at ease.  The mix can be refrigerated wrapped with cling film for using it at a later date.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups almonds
• 4 cups sugar (powdered)
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbspn rose water
• Food colours of choice
• ½ tspn cardamom powder
• 1 cup water
• Little Butter 

Method:

• Soak the almonds overnight.   Peel off the skin.
• Dilute the rose water in water.
• Blend the nuts to a fine paste using the diluted rose water and egg whites.
• Add half of the sugar while blending, so that the paste gets smoother.
• Transfer the almonds paste, remaining sugar to a non-stick vessel and keep it on a low fire.
• Keep stirring until it forms a smooth ball.
• Cool the stuff and knead it till soft.
• If it sticks use  little butter to knead.
• Divide the stuff into smaller parts and mix the colour of your choice.

• Using a rubber mould form different shapes.  Sprinkle powder sugar on the mould for the sweets to come out at ease.
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• In the absence of a mould, spread it in a greased plate and cut into square/diamond pieces.

Refrigerate the sweets in order to remain firm.

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CHICKEN CURRY WITH SPINACH (VALCHE BAJI)

Chicken curry combined with Valche Baji or Spinach makes a delicious combo.   Basically spinach is a cooling vegetable and therefore blends well with chicken which is always believed to be heaty.  We can find lush green spinach during winter season, shortly after the rains with juicy stems.  The masala used in this curry is typical Mangalorean and this preparation goes well with the boiled rice or rotis. 

The spinach leaves must be hand picked and washed well and the leaves and the stems must be segregated.  The stems are cut into finger size pieces and cooked separately in little water.  The chicken and the chopped leaves are also cooked together using little water.  Once these are cooked combine the three main ingredients.

1 kg medium sized chicken pieces washed and drained.

Ingredients for the Masala:

• Kashmiri chillies -  8 nos.
• Coriander seeds   – 2 tspns
• Jeerah/cumin      – 1 tspn
• Pepper corns      – 1 tspn
• Fenugrekseeds     – ½ tspns
• Kuskus            - ½ tspn
• Cloves            - 3 pcs
• A small piece of cinnamon
• 1 big onion sliced
• 6 garlic flakes
• 1 cup of grated coconut

• Slightly roast all the above ingredients on a tawal.
• Add a marble sized tamarind and ½ tspn turmeric powder to the above.  
• Grind all the above to a fine paste using required quantity of water.  
• Combine the cooked chicken, and the spinach with stems in a cooking vessel.
• Add the ground masala with the masala water added to it. 
• Add salt to taste.
• Bring it a good boil.

 

For seasoning:

Fry until brown, a medium sized finely cut onion in 1 tblspn of oil.  Mix it to the curry and stir well.

A delicious curry is ready to be served with Brown rice or rotis.

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APPLE PIE

TO PREPARE:

Ingredients For the Base:

• 250 gms Flour
• 125 gms Butter
•  70 gms sugar powder
• 25  ml to 30ml ice cold water
• A pinch of salt

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 4   apples
• 50 gms powdered sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 100 gms Cashewnut pieces

Method: 

• Prepare the base for the pie by mixing the flour, sugar and butter to a crumb like consistency
• Now pour in the water little by little till a dough is formed. 
• Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Dice the apples to small pieces and mix in the cinnamon powder, lime juice, cashew nuts and powder sugar and keep aside.
• Roll the dough to the size of the pie dish (10") and line the pie dish well by cutting the edges to the height of the dish. 
• Then put in the apple filling and cover with the remaining dough in any pattern. 
• Bake in the oven @ 160 – 180 degrees for about an hour or till done well..
• Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

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CHICKEN BAR-BE-CUE

TO PREPARE:

Ingredients Required:

• 1 kg chicken breast or legs medium sized pieces.
• Washed and water drained off
• 2 green capsicums cut into square pieces
• 2 onions cut into square pieces

For the Marinade:

• 1 tbspn bafath powder
• 1 tbspn ginger/garlic paste
• 11/2 tspn  salt
• 1 cup curds
• 1 tspn olive oil
• Mix all together to form a paste
• Apply this paste to the chicken pieces atleast 24 to 36 hours before grilling.

• Light fire to the charcoal in a metal grill.  Let the flame disappear.
• Only the red hot coal should remain in the grill.
• Pierce the skewer to the chicken pieces
• Insert capsicum and onion pieces in between.
• Lay them on a wired grill or mesh
• Keep turning the pieces.
• Cook until properly cooked for about 25-30 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate. 
• Sprinkle lime juice on top of the grilled chicken pieces.

Delicious juicy Chicken Bar-be-cue is ready to be savoured.

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BRINJAL RAITHA

To prepare:

Ingredients:

• 1 big sized brinjal
• chilli powder to taste
• salt to taste
• oil
• curds
• 1" ginger minced
• 1 tbspn coriander leaves minced
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Method:

• Cut Brinjal into thin slices.
• Apply chilly powder & salt and keep.
• Shallow fry in the oil
• Lay the fried slices in a serving 
• Mix the curds with ginger n little salt
• Spread the curds mixture on the fried brinjals
• Garnish with Coriander leaves/onion slices
• Sprinkle roasted and powdered jeerah on top.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves

Brinjal raitha ready to be served.

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BANANA CHIPS

Banana Chips are available in plenty in bakeries all over.  But the taste of the home made chips is awesome.   Home made chips are  fresh,  crispy and nourishing,  as we can use the oil of our choice to fry  the chips.  With little effort,  these  can be prepared at home, preferably with a helping hand.  

TO PREPARE BANANA CHIPS:

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh green raw Nandarkai bananas
• 1 litre cooking oil 
• 1 tbspn turmeric powder dissolved in water
• A metal chips slicer

Method:

• Peel the skin of the raw banana by slitting the skin lengthwise, without touching the pulp
• Soak these peeled bananas in turmeric  water in an utensil for a while
• Remove the bananas and pat dry using a dry cloth or tissue paper

• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, bring it to a boil
• Hold the slicer above the hot oil and slice the bananas, dropping directly into the hot oil
• To avoid lumps, keep stirring.
• Add a tspn of salt water into the hot oil
• Fry until crispy
• Transfer the fried chips onto a plate covered with tissue paper
• Allow to cool. 
• Store the chips in an air tight container.

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PORK RIBS

Pork ribs is a variation in cooking pork meat and is a delicacy.  This recipe is from Jovita Pinto, and the dish comes out yummy.

Pork ribs are not sold separately in Mangalore.  However  with  a courteous request to the vendor we can buy the ribs.    Along with the ribs, fat as well as the meat is also included. The ribs must be cut into finger size pieces, preferably at the place where these are purchased.

TO PREPARE PORK RIBS:

Ingredients:

1 kg pork ribs along with meat and fat

Marinade:

Soya sauce                     : 1 tbspn

Ginger garlic paste         : ½ tbspn

Juice of a lemon

Chilly powder                 : 1 tspn

Salt                                  : to taste or ¾ tspn

Mix the marinade well and apply to each pork piece thoroughly.

Marinate overnight or atleast for 3 hours

To prepare:

Ingredients:

Oil                       : 1 tspn

Chilly flakes         : 1 tspn

Sweet and hot tomato ketchup : 1 cup (or more if required)

Cook the marinated meat on low fire until soft and tender.

In a separate utensil heat the oil and add the chilly flakes on a very slow fire.

Add on the tomato ketchup and mix well forming a thick gravy.

Add to this the cooked meat and stir well enough so that the thick gravy covers the meat. 

Delicious pork ribs are ready to be served.

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F I L A F I L

Filafil used to be one of my favorite snack during the good olden days in the desert. Although we can find many shawarma vendors in Mangalore, filafil caterers yet to come. After referring to different recipe sites and modifying the recipe as per the availability of the ingredients, I was successful to get the outcome as below:

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TO PREPARE FILAFIL:

Ingredients:

• 250 gms chick peas-soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 green chilly 
• 6 cloves garlic finely chopped  
• 1 small onion-minced  
• ½ cup water 
• 25 gm gram flour (more if required)
• salt & pepper 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tspn lime juice

 Method:

• Wash the soaked chickpeas and put them in a food processor with the chilly, garlic, onion and water.  
• Grind until you get a rough moist texture.
• Add salt, pepper, cumin powder, finely cut coriander leaves, lime juice and soda powder. 
• Blend in the gram flour.
• Make small flat patties out of the mixture
• Drop in hot oil, fry over a moderate flame until golden brown and completely cooked.
• Drain and serve hot.

The filafils are good in a pita bread sandwich.

Split the pita bread on one side (lengthwise) to form an opening.

Place a layer of falafil, some *tahini, sour cream and lettuce along with some chopped onions and serve.

Tip: *Tahini is a paste made out of sesame, olive oil and little water blended together.

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PEPPER PRAWNS

Prawns taste delicious, whatever way they are cooked.  Though rich in cholestrol  and fat  contents,  all relish eating the prawn delicacies.  

Prawns pepper is a self-invented recipe, tried out by me and liked by all at home.   This dish requires lesser  time to prepare  and can be included on a party menu. 

TO PREPARE PEPPER PRAWNS

INGREDIENTS:

• 25 Nos. Big sized Prawns, cleaned and washed.
• 1 big onion sliced
• 1” ginger minced
• 2 garlic flakes minced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 tspn green chilly sauce
• ½ tspn soya sauce
• 1 tspn pepper
• Salt
• 1 tspn lime juice
• 1 tbspn oil

METHOD:

• Saute sliced onion in the oil until translucent
• Add tomatoes and sauté until cooked
• Put in minced ginger and cook
• Add the chilly sauce, soya sauce and lime juice.
• Now add pepper and salt and stir well.
• Finally add the prawns and cook in the juice which comes out of the prawns on a low fire.

Serve hot as a side dish.

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ASSORTED BASKET OF BREAD

Bread making is an art, though laborious worth the efforts.    Here I have tried to make a variety of shapes and sizes of bread.

TO PREPARE  THE ASSORTED BASKET OF BREAD:




Ingredients:

• 250 gms flour
• 2 tsps sugar  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp yeast
• 125ml water
• 2 ½ tsps oil

Method:

• Ferment the yeast with sugar and 2 tbspns of water.  Make sure that the yeast is active.
• Sieve the flour.
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour and work with the dough adding the required amount of water till the dough is smooth. 
• Put on the work top and knead with the palm of your hand for at least 15 minutes. 
• Then add the oil to the dough and work on it more. 
• Rest the dough in a quiet place for 30 minutes.
• Knock it back on the work surface.

• Shape the dinner rolls according to the shape you desire and then *prove. 
• Egg wash the proven rolls and bake at 160 degrees.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

• Tip: *Proving is to keep the dough for another 30 minutes after the     desired shape is given. 

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GOLI BAJE - ROUND FRITTERS

Goli baje is an all time favourite snack, can be prepared for breakfast or for evening snack.   Goli means ‘round’ in Kannada and though it is of varied shapes, as the batter is dropped in hot oil using a spoon, it is still called Goli baje.  Goli baje is a Mangalorean snack and can be found in most of the Mangy restaurants in Mangalore and around.  

As Goli bajes are deep fried, more oil is absorbed in it and must be placed on tissue paper soon after removing it from the deep frying pan to get rid of the the excess oil. 

TO PREPARE GOLI BAJE:

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups maida
• 1 tspn gram flour (besan) – for crispiness
• 3/4 cup curd or yogurt
• 1 tspn finely chopped ginger
• 1 tspn finely chopped green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 tspn baking soda
• 1 tspn sugar (optional)
• 1 onion chopped
• Salt
• Oil
• Tissue paper

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients (except oil) to form a thick batter;  
• batter should be thicker enough to drop off a teaspoon.
• Leave the dough for around 30mins.
• Heat oil in a deep frier.
• Drop a spoonful of batter into hot oil.
• Deep fry until slightly crunchy.

Serve hot with chutney and steaming coffee.

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