Spices and Recipes

Ingredients:

• 8 medium crabs
• 8 tbsp grated coconut
• 10 kashmiri chillies
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 10 peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions (sliced)
• ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp tamarind juice
• 2 green chillies (chopped)

Method:

1. Clean the crabs.
2. Roast the coconut lightly and clear the pan.
3. Roast the chillies and then the spices.
4. Grind the roasted ingredients to a fine paste using a little water.
5. Heat oil, brown the onion, stir the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder.
6. Fry for a few seconds, add the crabs, mix well and sprinkle tamarind juice.
7. Add half a cup of water, cover the pan and after 10 minutes stir in the roasted spice paste, salt and green chillies.
8. Cook till preparation is thick.

Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs fish preferably skate, shark or catfish
• 10 dry red chillies
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 4 peppercorns
• ¼ inch piece turmeric
• 4 flakes garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• a small (marble size) tamarind
• 1 onion (sliced fine)
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Clean and wash the fish. Cut into desired pieces, apply salt and keep aside.
2. Grind the above ingredients in a little water.
3. Fry the onion in oil till it turns brown.
4. Add the masala and fry a bit.
5. Add a cup of water, allow to boil and then add the fish pieces.
6. Cook till tender on slow fire.
7. Add salt and vinegar if necessary.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 1/2 cups grated coconut
• 1 1/2 cups toddy
• 350 gm sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups prawn balchao
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice overnight.
2. Next morning, grind rice and coconut separately with the toddy, to make a fine batter.
3. Add the salt and sugar and keep aside for 3-4 hours till the batter is well risen.
4. Now beat gently together the 6 egg yolks and only 3 egg whites.
5. Add this to the rice-coconut mixture. Meanwhile line a cake tin 8″ in diameter with greased butter paper.
6. Divide the mixture into 2 equal parts/portions.
7. Put one portion evenly at the bottom of the cake tin. Now spread the prawn balchao over the bottom layer and then cover with the second portion of the rice-coconut mixture evenly.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F till the Apa de Camarao is risen and golden brown on top.
9. Cool and serve.

Ingredients:

• 50 button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1-2 onions finely chopped
• ¼ cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp gram flour
• 2 tbsp semolina
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix together the finely chopped mushrooms, onions, chilli powder, turmeric powder, gram flour, grated coconut and salt.
2. Shape into cutlets.
3. Roll in semolina.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan.
5. Fry the cutlets on both sides till light brown.
6. Serve hot with tomato sauce.