Spices and Recipes

Ingredients:

• Sandwich bread
• tomatoes
• boiled potatoes
• cucumber
• beetroot
• onion
• some butter (preferrably Amul butter)
• salt and pepper
• tomato ketchup

For chutney:

• coriander leaves
• 5-6 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

1. Make thin round slices of all the vegetables.
2. Grind together coriander leaves, chilies, cumin seeds and salt to make a chutney.
3. Take a slice of bread and apply some butter on one surface. Spread some chutney. Prepare another slice of bread similarly.
4. Arrange 2-3 slices of each vegetable on the buttered surface of the bread. Sprinkle some salt and pepper.
5. Now put another slice of bread on it with buttered surface inside, press lightly and cut the sandwich into squares.
6. Serve with ketchup on top.

Ingredients:

• 20 mushrooms
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 red chillies (local)
• ¼ tbsp coconut oil/butter
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and clean mushrooms, pat dry and cut into halves.
• Apply a little salt.
• Heat coconut oil/butter in a frying pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chillies.
• Fry till mustard seeds splutter.
• Add mushrooms and stir fry for one to two minutes till they turn soft.
• Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken (1 ¼ kg)
• salt to taste
• one cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp fresh diced coconut
• 1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric seeds
• 8 red dried chillies
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 6 star aniseed
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 large onions, chopped fine
• 6 green chillies, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 3 cups water

Method:

1. Wash and clean the chicken.
2. Apply salt and keep aside.
3. In a griddle / tava, on medium heat brown the grated coconut, and all the spices except the nutmeg, green chillies and diced coconut for approx. 3 -5 mins.
4. Remove from heat and grind this mixture of roasted spices to a paste in the blender/grinder.
5. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and saute all the ground spices along with the green chillies, and 1 large onion chopped fine.
6. Add the chicken pieces, diced coconut, nutmeg and salt to taste along with the tamarind pulp.
7. Lower the flame and add the water gradually, stir cooking, as you do so in an open pan.
8. After 15 minutes, raise the flame and shake the pan gently.
9. The oil will rise to the top.
10. Remove from fire.

Ingredients:

• 50-100 button mushrooms
• 1 coconut, grated
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2-3 onions, finely chopped
• A little turmeric powder
• Tamarind

Masala for roasting in oil:

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp aniseed
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 dagadful
• 1 piece mace
• 8-10 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8-10 peppercorns
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 10-15 red chillies
• 2 big cardamom
• 1 tsp shahijeera
• ½ inch nutmeg

Method:

1. Roast above masala in oil in a frying pan for minute or two. Remove and keep aside.
2. In the same frying pan, dry roast grated coconut and chopped onions till light golden in color.
3. Grind to a fine paste the roasted masala, coconut, roughly chopped onions along with turmeric powder and a little tamarind.
4. Remove masala water separately.
5. Wash and clean mushrooms. Cut into quarters.
6. Fry mushrooms and finely chopped onions in a little oil for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add masala water and masala paste.
8. Cook till one boil. (Do not overcook mushrooms).
9. Add salt.
10. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 segments or red pumpkin
• 2 onions
• ½ tbsp Goan sambhar
• Handful dried prawns
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ coconut, grated

Method:

1. Chop the pumpkin, salt and keep aside.
2. Grind the dried prawns and grated coconut coarsely.
3. Heat the oil in the frying pan.
4. Add onions and sautee till golden brown in color.
5. Add the ground mixture, sugar and pumpkin.
6. Add very little water (about half cup) and cook over very slow fire.
7. Serve hot with chapati or rice.