Clams in a Spicy Coconut Gravy (Kubhe Sukhe)

I love clams which also known as "Kubhe" in Konkani. During my visit to the Chinese market, I purchased them and decided to make this dish the mangalorean way. I have watched my mom make it and it is really very delicious. This dish can be eaten with rice and dal (lentil soup).

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

500 gms of clams

1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut

3-4 cloves of garlic crushed

6-7 curry leaves

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

to grind to a paste:

2 bedki mirchi (chilli)

2 madras mirchi (chilli)

1 medium onion chopped and shallow fried

1 tsp cumin seeds roasted

1 tsp coriander seeds roasted

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

5 peppercorns roasted

1 tsp tamarind pulp

2 cloves of garlic chopped

salt to taste

Method :

• Boil the clams in 1/2 cup water adding some salt to it till the clams open up.
• Put all the ingredients in the blender and add some water and grind to a fine paste
• In a pan, heat about 2 tbsp of oil and fry the coconut nicely till slightly brown. Then put it in the blender and crush it slightly and keep aside.
• Heat some oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds, crushed garlic and curry leaves and then add the ground paste and fry nicely.
• Then add the boiled clams to this paste and mix it well. Add salt if required.
• Then add the coconut to it and mix it well.
• Serve hot with rice and dal.

Simple Cabbage Vegetable

This is one of the simple dishes which I make quite often. It is very easy to make and also tastes good. It goes very well with rice and dal.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

1/2 cabbage chopped finely

1 onion finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 green chillies slit

1 tsp mustard

10 curry leaves

3 tbsp freshly grated coconut

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow it to crackle.
• Then add the garlic, green chillies and onions and fry nicely till the onions are golden brown
• Then add the cabbage and fry nicely. Add some salt and cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
• When the cabbage is almost cooked, add the coconut and mix well.
• Serve hot with rice and dal or can also be eaten with rotis.

Neer Dosa (Pan Pole)

Growing up, I remember my mom making these dosas. This is a typical Mangalorean dish made out of rice. I used to watch her make them and quickly learnt by seeing her make it. This is a very simple dish and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You could also convert it into a snack by filling it with some freshly grated coconut and jaggery. You could also eat it with honey. These are generally called the "Mangalorean Pancakes" or "Panpole"

So here goes the recipe...

Preparation Time : 20 minutes + soaking time

Makes : 20 small neer dosas.

Ingredients :

21/2 cups (rice cooker measure) raw rice (Generally use a thin grain variety of rice called "Surai tandool" in Mangalore or par-boiled rice)

A little salt to taste

Water

Oil

Method :

• Wash and soak the raw rice in water overnight and grind it the next day in the blender with a little salt to taste.
• By adding water to the ground rice, make a batter of medium consistency.
• Heat the frying pan with some cooking oil in it. (Take half an onion, prick it with a fork and dip it in oil and spread it on the frying pan so that the pan is evenly sprayed with oil)
• Pour a ladle full of batter on a heated flat frying pan. Turn the pan so as to spread the batter evenly on the pan. Cover the pan with a lid.
• After about 2 minutes, you will see the dosa leaving the sides, that's when you know that it is ready.
• Remove it using a flat ladle.
• You will see that the surface of the neer dosa is perforated with small holes.
• Fold it and serve it hot with any chicken preparation or it can also be eaten with chutney or honey.

Note : You could make a filling of 1 cup freshly grated coconut, 200 gms jaggery and 1 tsp cardamom powder. Place a spoonful in the middle of the neer dosa, and roll it up and arrange it on a serving dish. This is perfect for an evening snack.

Chettinaad Chicken

Yesterday while browsing the net, I came across Sanjeev Kapoor's website and there I saw this recipe of "Chettinaad Chicken". I thought of giving it a try and modified it a little bit. The original recipe requires the chicken on the bone but I just had boneless chicken breasts and hence decided to go with it. I also altered the spice level a little bit as my daughter is not fond of spicy food. But overall, I must say the recipe turned out to be a success. I also made neer dosa to go with the chicken. So thanks to Sanjeevji :)

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 packet (750 gms) of boneless chicken breasts

5 tbsp oil

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

5 Whole dry red chilli

3/4 cup fresh coconut grated

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red kashmiri chilli powder

salt to taste

12 curry leaves

1 big onion chopped

1 inch piece ginger chopped

4-5 cloves garlic chopped

2 tbsp crushed pepper powder

2 tbsp lime juice

Method :

• Heat oil in a pan and roast coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, dry red chillies, coconut and fry till the coconut turns golden. Set aside to cool.
• Clean and cut the chicken in to cubes and marinate it with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and 2 tbsp of oil and keep aside for about half an hour.
• In the meanwhile, grind the coconut mixture to a fine paste adding water as required.
• Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add the remaining cumin seeds, curry leaves and onions and fry till the onions turn golden brown.
• Add garlic and ginger and fry for another minute or two.
• Add the ground masala and fry it nicely for about 5 minutes.
• Then add the chicken, crushed pepper powder and lime juice.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes or till the chicken is done. If required add a little water so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Serve hot with neer dosa.

Mangalorean Style Surmai (King fish) Curry

King fish or Surmai is one of my favorite Indian fish. While in India, I used to cook this quite often as this is one of my husband's favorite dishes.

Last week I went to a Chinese market in Canada and found this fish there. I couldn't wait to come home and cook it. Needless to say that everyone enjoyed and relished it !!!

I have learned this recipe from my mother. A bowl of hot steamed rice with surmai curry simply tastes amazing.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

6-8 Surmai fish pieces

1 tbsp vinegar

salt to taste

a small bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped

3 tbsp oil

to grind to a paste:

1 meduim onion chopped

3 whole dry kashmiri chillies

2 whole dry madras chillies

2 whole dry bedki chillies

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 cup coconut milk or 1/2 coconut freshly grated

5 peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp tamarind paste

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt

For tempering:

1/2 onion finely chopped

a few curry leaves

Method :

• Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• In a mixer, grind all the ingredients as mentioned above to a fine paste with little water.
• Take some oil in a frying pan and fry the marinated fish on both sides and keep aside.
• Take another pan and heat some oil in it. Then add the curry leaves and the finely chopped onion and fry nicely.
• Then add the ground masala and fry it well for about 5 minutes
• Then add enough water to the masala to make it a gravy (not too thick or not too thin) like consistency
• Bring this to a boil. Then add the vinegar and again bring to a boil. Check seasoning.
• To this add the fried fish pieces and cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Salt and Pepper style Indian Tendli

This is a quick and easy recipe and is so tasty. It can be eaten for lunch or dinner and can be prepared in no time. A good recipe for working mothers.

Salt and Pepper style Indian Tendli

Indian Tendli marinated in salt and pepper and cooked slowly over medium heat

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Indian Tendli

1 medium sliced onion cut lengthwise

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

2 tsp of pepper powder

1 tsp of oil

1/2 cup water

Method :

• Take the tendli and smash it with the help of a kitchen hammer.
• Take oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard seed and allow them to crackle
• Then add the finely cut onions and fry it well till they are pink
• Then add the Indian tendli and mix well
• Add salt and pepper and the water and cover and cook on medium flame
• Remove when the tendli is cooked well.
• Indian tendli goes well with rice and dal.